The Long Game
by Sinmora
Summary: Set between S3 & S4, sequel to "Without the Darkness" but can be read as standalone. Belle and Emma struggle to accept their trauma while someone within Storybrooke targets one of the Four Heroines for a past misdeed. Who is it? Can they band together to save their friends, family and each other? SQ & RB, Angst, explicit sex, family, torture, bits of fluff, feels, the usual.
1. Prologue

My Sweet Doves, I have returned! I bring goodies for you! I probably (unfortunately) will not post as rapidly as before. After much deliberation with my tech director, I have decided to volunteer my time to his shop because my school screwed him as horribly as they did me. So, he fights to get me back in, and I work for free for the moment. Yippee.

Huge thank you to Rebel Maineiac for the story idea. *kisses*

Enjoy!

Songs: God Help Me by Emilie Autumn

* * *

_Her smile. It's wide and bright. Though the lines around her mouth and eyes have become more pronounced, that beautiful smile still brightens her face. She's changed so much. Moved on. Forgotten. Healed. She's let her sins go, accepted her shortcomings, her darkness. _

_She's laughing now, and it trickles down my spine, slips around my mind as though no time has passed. Her laugh, once a welcomed sound, now only hurts. It reminds me of the great loss I've suffered. I loved her once. Perhaps as a sister, a friend. How had someone so naïve and innocent become something so evil? _

_Her lover doesn't think she's evil. She's smiling up at her like a lovesick fool, either completely oblivious or uncaring of the people weaving around them. They'd endured so much together, healed each other. She flips her hair as she walks away and offers the other woman a suggestive smile over her shoulder. Her hair has grown long and beautiful, a glimpse of the young girl so full of innocence. Had she reclaimed that within herself?_

_Her lover melts and chases after her, loose hair blowing in the wind. They kiss. It is supposed to be beautiful, passionate. Perhaps to some, it is. _

_It makes me sick._

_The scar on her chest plays peek-a-boo beneath her shirt, and my anger grows. They all have them. The four whores of Storybrooke don brands upon their chests. They wear them like badges of honor, as if the world should bow at their feet because they sacrificed their pound of flesh in the pursuit of heroism. _

_Murderers. All of them. _

_Perhaps if they hadn't made so many enemies, the world wouldn't require saving all the time. I hate them all, her entire unlikely family. The wolf and the witch and the savior and the librarian and the seer and the succubus and the brilliant potions mistress, even the sniveling brats and parents. _

_I'll make them all suffer for what she did. They deserve punishment. Her loyal friends condone her abhorrent behavior, forgive her transgressions as though she never destroyed lives with her wickedness. _

_She walks right by me. She doesn't remember. Why should she? I catch a whiff of her shampoo. She still smells good after all these years, different than I remember but delicious as ever. She'll never see me coming until it's too late. _

_Cora couldn't stop them. Pan failed miserably. Poor Zelena came closest to victory. They killed them all rather than relinquish their power, admit their heinous crimes. They were all powerful magical beings, and they failed. But I am nothing. A nobody. On the outside, I'm innocent, human, normal._

_I will destroy her. _


	2. How the Cookie Crumbles

Hello Sweet Doves! (Katy's full name is pronounce Kat-ah-leen for those wondering)

I'm super excited for this story, and I hope you still love these wonderful characters as much as I love writing them. (For those still pissed at Emma from the last story, don't give up on her just yet!)

Enjoy!

Songs: Just Another Day in Paradise by Phil Vassar Build Me up Buttercup by The Foundations (I really need to find better inspirations for SQ. Whatever works, right?)

* * *

"Katyline Katherick Swan, get your ass up the stairs now!" Emma yelled down the basement door and then bounced Annabel in the pouch strapped to her shoulders. She and Regina returned from their cabin adventure two weeks ago, and even though no one attempted to kill them, their life remained hectic. The door bell jingled and Emma hung her head, taking deep breaths.

"No, please, I will totally pay you. I just can't leave Storybrooke right now." Ruby whined into her cell phone in the kitchen. "Because my partner is having a mental break down due to combat PTSD, and I live in a house with four children and if I don't learn a new craft to take the edge off I'm going to snap someone's neck."

Emma rolled her eyes, glanced at the front door, and then held Annabel in place as she jogged towards the kitchen. Alex reached for the hot waffle maker, and Emma intervened at the last second. "No, baby, that's hot." Henry cried out when his plate tipped from the edge of the table, sending syrup and pieces of waffle down his front before shattering against the floor.

"Ruby, get the hell off the phone," Emma hissed. "Upstairs. Now. Go!" The preteen jumped into action. "Two minutes!"

"Emma?" Belle's accented voice called from the foyer.

"Beautiful, sexy, librarian goddess!" Emma cried out in joy and led Alex towards her Mama. They reached the door of the kitchen when Annabel made the decision to projectile spit onto her chest.

"Emma, I'll take them," Belle said sympathetically. Emma sputtered and stared at her chest and the green button-up dress shirt now ruined.

"Thanks. Regina thought it was a good idea to go at me in the shower. You know, first day back and all that."

"Emma."

"I mean, good god, yes, nerves are solid now, even if my legs are shaking."

"Emma."

"But then my mother calls, and Regina refuses to stop. Do you know how awkward that is! I totally pulled something in my neck from the strain." Emma struggled with the clip on the pouch as she spoke.

"Emergency Council meeting this morning because Regina _had_ to tell everyone that she was responsible, so I may have to arrest my wife on my second first day as sheriff. Ruby won't get off the phone with some damn tattoo artist over in Braxton City. Guess that's her new obsession."

"Emma, Henry's social worker is here!" Belle blurted. Emma's head jerked up, and she grabbed the twinge in her neck that Regina had given her earlier. Her hand dropped immediately, hot blush tipping her ears. Belle bit her lip, not sure if she wanted to laugh or cry. She settled for picking up her daughter with outstretched arms and wandering into the kitchen.

"Hello, Mrs. Swan, I'm Madison Cramer. Ms. Wendell retired, and I inherited Henry's case." She presented her identification and her hand at the same time. Emma shook her hand numbly and squinted at the ID.

The woman looked familiar, but Emma let the thought slide away when Ruby appeared with a towel and took Annabel and the pouch. Emma dabbed at her chest. "I'm so sorry. As you can see, this morning is one of those mornings. Uhh, I'm not quite sure what you're doing here."

"Despite your move, Henry is still listed under our jurisdiction until someone can be assigned to you from Maine. Any large life events require a visit. Moving and a new family situation certainly constitutes an unannounced visit. Would you like to change your shirt before the interview?" Madison explained her presence with a tinge of amusement. Either she had children of her own or had seen enough.

"Yes," Emma breathed. "Thank you. I'll be right back." Emma sprinted up the stairs, banged on Henry's door on the way by. She shucked her ruined shirt and bra, splashed water onto her chest and dabbed at it with the hand towel. She threw on the first bra she came to and a light grey long sleeve t-shirt and returned to the balcony.

Henry's squeaky voice chattered at the social worker, and Emma breathed a sigh of relief. It lasted all of two seconds before a vibrating boom shook the house. Adrenaline surged in her veins, and she nearly tripped down the stairs, digging her cell phone from her pocket at the same time. A part of her prayed, a part of her hoped, and a part of her knew both were futile, pointless wastes of energy.

"Operation Stingray!" Ruby yelled a moment before emerging from the kitchen with Annabel in one arm and Alex in the other.

Henry grabbed his little sister as Katy appeared at the top of the stairs in a sports bra and yoga pants, and tennis shoes, clearly having interrupted her morning work out at Ruby's cry. She scooped Alex up the moment Emma hit the hardwood floor of the foyer running. The children disappeared out the front door. Katy knew to take whichever vehicle she grabbed the keys for, protesting the insane drills they'd run her through because she never expected this to happen.

"Get out of here, now!" She ordered the social worker. "The woman in the kitchen has combat PTSD. The drill you just saw means she's flashing back and may be violent." Emma tossed over her shoulder as she and Ruby stood outside the kitchen door and waited.

Emma's phone rang the generic bell sound, and she snapped it up, already expecting the call. "Sheriff," she barked.

"Oh my god," Emma muttered, face blanching with whatever she'd just heard on the other end. Ruby's heart stopped for a second. Emma closed the cheap phone and met her friend's eyes.

"Amelia's lab just blew up," Emma blurted, shocked to the core. "They don't know if she was inside." Helpless green eyes pleaded with scared brown. Two important women in their lives were in danger, and they were torn, especially Emma.

"Emma," Ruby grabbed her shoulders, and Emma snapped to attention. "I can find her and get her out if she is. Help Belle," Ruby gritted her teeth, brow furrowing with the effort.

She was leaving her lover to help a woman she barely tolerated. Sure, Amelia held a place in her heart and life, but their personalities clashed far too much. Amelia resembled too much what Ruby used to be, and the wolf's hackles bristled in close proximity. Her cloak pooled on the floor, and then only one remained outside the kitchen.

Emma took a deep breath, steadying her nerves, and the another. "Belle?" Splinters flew into her face from the energy pulse that busted the frame of the door.

Emma gritted her teeth. She hated using magic to calm her friend, but this morning had gone from frustrating to sour to downright gut wrenching, like drinking and then puking spoiled milk. Amelia. Emma twisted her wedding band and allowed the magic to flow. Like the friction of a genie's lamp, the warm metal coaxed the shy and tentative new magic into Emma's hands.

The pink glow surrounded her hands, and Emma positioned the shiny orbs at shoulder height, her shield against the raging librarian. During their first magic lesson, Emma and Regina discovered that Emma's magic absorbed Dark and Earth Magic, feeding her own strength. The odd magic remained linked to Emma's desires to help others, her incredible love for her family and Regina, but it no longer came with the burden of imminent loss. She'd sacrificed the magic of belief for the magic of desire, something far more powerful than Regina or Belle conjured.

Which led her to this moment.

Belle took cover behind the opposite end of the island, and Emma felt the humming crackle of Earth Magic on the back of her neck. A trained warrior in the middle of a flashback gave them all pause. Throw on top of that fear the fact that Belle wielded a hefty amount of magic, and Emma halted just inside the door.

"Belle, it's me. It's Emma. Come back to us," Emma pleaded softly as she took a tentative step towards the obviously scared woman. Who knew what nightmare the explosion conjured in her tortured friend's mind.

Emma sighed when she absorbed a blast of magic into her hands. Her shoulders readjusted involuntarily, her body making room for the influx of energy manifesting in her hands. Emma sighed, gritted her teeth, and surged forward. Belle rolled from behind the counter, flinging a string of fireballs in quick succession as she backed towards the outside door. Crap on toast.

Emma focused, arms shaking with the effort, and prayed that she immobilized Belle instead of tossing her into the counter or worse through the glass door. The librarian froze, terror in her eyes, and Emma rushed forward. She touched Belle's face with both hands, praying that her magic affected everyone equally and not just her beautiful wife. Hard eyes softened to baby blues as the calming effect of Emma's magic seeped into her like a natural sedative.

"Emma?" Belle asked breathlessly, and Emma wrapped her friend in a hug.

"Hey, welcome back. You didn't hurt anyone unless you count the door. I have to go. Amelia's lab blew up. That was the explosion that set you off. You okay?" Emma spurted at her friend before she pulled from the embrace and held her shoulders.

Belle nodded numbly. "I'll be fine. Just go." She slumped onto a stool at the island and hid her face in both hands, breathing deeply as she gained lucidity.

"Call Katy, and let her know. Could you possibly get them to school and stay with Alex and Annabel until Ruby gets back?" Emma asked.

Belle's head jerked up. "No, Emma. Absolutely not. I'll not hurt my children." Children. Emma smiled.

"You'll be fine. Please?" Emma tried again, itching nervously to get to the newest disaster. Belle nodded and reached for her phone with shaking fingers. Emma took a deep breath. She'd be fine. She believed in Belle's resilience and commitment to their children. They were completely safe, even if she flashed again, considering most of them revolved around protecting children.

With trepidation, she closed her eyes and pictured the street in front of Amelia's apartment. A second later, she flew apart and gagged on the… lilac flavored magic? The thought distracted her from the teleport, and she broke into reality ten feet in the air. A string of curses echoed into the buildings as she fell to the pavement in a heap of disheveled sheriff.

It might have been hilarious had the scene not been so incredibly heart wrenching. People held bloody rags to wounds, fire trucks sprayed at flames, sparks of different colors shot into the air, indicative of the magical component of the fire. Emma stood, not completely aware of her actions.

"Emma!" Ruby called over the chaos.

Emma glanced around and finally found the wolf kneeling on the ground with an unconscious Amelia propped against her chest. Emma dropped to one knee by her friends and checked Amelia's pulse, just to confirm for her own sanity. It throbbed confidently against her fingertips.

"I found her on the other side of the door from the lab. She would have never made it if she'd been inside," Ruby whispered, an emotional hardness in her voice. She and Amelia butted heads daily, but the troubled surgeon had become a part of their family.

Emma glanced around and saw a paramedic tending some walking wounded. "Hey!" She beckoned when the woman glanced up, and the emergency responder jogged through the smoke.

"Damn, Doc can't catch a break," the irritated blonde snapped.

"Hey Shay, think you can take over from here? Emma and I need to do crowd control," Ruby asked, grateful to pawn the injured woman onto someone else. Shay nodded and helped Ruby lay her flat on the ground.

"Take that side. In my cruiser, there should be some tape. We need to keep these people back and get the walking wounded out of the danger zone if the building collapses." Ruby nodded and followed her instructions without protest.

"Emma!" came the frantic cry of her wife, and Emma met her eyes at the edge of the crowd.

She held up a hand, and Regina halted, somehow mustering the patience to wait until Emma came to her. She pulled two people from the pavement and supported them, encouraging others on her slow trek to follow her to safety. Paramedics relieved her of the physical burden. Ruby whistled and tossed a roll of yellow caution tape across the chaos. She gritted her teeth and caught it despite the sting.

"Everyone, get back! Back the hell up!" Emma yelled at the gawking civilians. Regina turned first and the crowd followed until a 50 foot gap stood between them and the burning building.

"Em, what happened?" Regina asked quietly and followed Emma to one side to the street.

"Amelia's lab blew," Emma answered softly with a quick glance to the crowd. Most everyone already knew the reason behind the explosion. "Lots of injuries but no known casualties as of yet. Amelia got the worst of it, I think. She's unconscious and banged up but alive." Emma spoke and tied the loose end of the tape to a lamp post at waist height.

Regina nodded, absorbing the scene. "Regina, you should get out of here. You're still on maternity leave. Let Stacy handle this. I have no idea what we're breathing right now, and you're still nursing Annabel."

A flash of defiance ignited in Regina's dark eyes, and Emma pushed forward. "Plus, Belle flipped shit when this happened. She's at the house with Alex and Annabel. She could probably use the support and help with the kids. She was pretty freaked out when I asked her to stay with them."

Regina nodded once. "Do not believe for a moment, Sheriff, that I will forget the fact that I've been ushered from the battle field like a damsel in distress," the former queen huffed indignantly.

Emma managed a grin despite the situation and leaned next to Regina's ear. "Punish me later, My Queen." Warm lips pressed to her cheek, and then Emma stalked across the street with her roll of tape. Regina shivered and raised an eyebrow at the tight ass muscles clenching beneath Emma's dark jeans as she hastily strode away to perform her duties.

Had The Queen just been subtly invited to their bedroom this evening?

Regina sincerely hoped so. Between the huge gaping portal they had yet to close, her confession to The Council, and Amelia's potion disaster this morning, the leaders of Storybrooke undoubtedly feared anything magical at the moment and any ground she'd made turned to quick sand beneath Belle's borrowed stylish blue stilettos. When The Council reconvened, she felt certain they all left that evening with a hunk of her ass in their mouths.

Playing queen certainly wasn't the worst scenario of stress management.

Emma's phone rang again, and green eyes found the inside of her skull as they rolled beyond their threshold. The anger faded, however, when Eva's number appeared on the screen. Had Amelia's status plummeted in the last ten minutes?

With shaking fingers, she answered the phone, "Sheriff Swan, go ahead, Eva."

"Emma, hello," she clipped. "Do you know when you'll be available to come to the hospital?" Straight to business as always.

"I'm not sure. I have to take statements and do crowd control. Why? What's up?" Her voice quivered, and she cleared her throat. Please let Amelia be okay, she prayed.

"Dr. Shepherd has listed you as her emergency contact and medical power of attorney. There are some decisions that need to be made."

Emma's heart dropped. What the hell? Why would Amelia pick her instead of Addison or her brother? She wiped sweat from her forehead with the back of her free hand and surveyed the chaos.

"I can't leave, Eva. What's going on?"

"We're getting a full body scan right now, but I believe she has internal bleeding. There are several visible spots. I'll know more when I get the scans." Eva explained succinctly, but the tight, almost indiscernible quiver in her voice told Emma that she felt her friend's injury deeply.

"Eva," Emma started, stopped, wiped her forehead again. "I trust you. Do what you think is necessary. Just…" The words caught her throat.

"I'll keep her alive, Emma. I'm not losing any of you morons on my watch," the surgeon sniped and then ended the call. She'd practically just told Emma that she loved her.

Emma sighed puffed a sigh into her cheeks and released it slowly as she surveyed the chaos again. She really needed a deputy. Happy friggin' first day back.

* * *

Emma stopped a block from the mansion and walked the remaining distance. The last fingers of twilight receded slowly from the sky, and she appreciated the coolness of the pending night. She felt fantastic and basked in the endorphins of her 10 mile jog. Between Belle's freak out, the oddly familiar social worker lurking about, Amelia's accident and surgery, and the general vitriol flung towards her family once more, she fully anticipated smacking the hell out of someone that day.

She ran to the laundry room and kicked her shoes off to avoid spreading the smell through the house and grabbed a bottled water from the fridge. She wanted a shower and a Golden Girls marathon while the house remained blissfully empty. Regina had several more hours of meetings, probably wouldn't surface until close to midnight. Ruby and Alex visited Belle tonight as they'd stayed at the mansion last night. Henry begged to be with Granny after school. Her parents spoiled Annabel, and Katy had tryouts of for some new athletic team starting at the high school next year.

Silence.

So with most of the mess Amelia created cleaned up except the rubble, she ran until her thoughts straightened… well, at least she was too exhausted to think about them anyway.

"You're late," Regina's dangerously deep voice called at her back as she reached the doorway of their bathroom.

She turned slowly, bottle of water nearly slipping from her hand at the sight that greeted her. Regina lounged on a mountain of pillows at the head of the bed, completely naked. Predatory energy rolled off of her in waves as she settled her arms on either side of the throne and bent her knees slightly. The woman was a damn goddess. Emma swallowed roughly.

"Give me a second to clean up," she stuttered and turned back to the bathroom.

"Now, Savior," Regina ordered. Oh, that's what Regina wanted. The meetings had surpassed dreadful and ventured into the territory of monogamous torture.

Emma turned slowly again, waiting a command. "Stand at the foot." Emma obeyed. Regina's stomach clenched, and she waved her hand. The candles she'd placed around the room before Emma arrived flickered with life, illuminating Emma's pale skin in a soft amber glow. She and Emma hadn't played like this since the day of their wedding, but they'd talked about it extensively and made some preliminary rules and stop/go signals just in case the mood ever struck again. Apparently, it struck.

"Put your water on the bed and strip," Regina's black silk voice commanded. "Slowly," she purred.

Emma tossed the water on the bed, never breaking eye contact with her furious wife. The runner's high settled into a burning ache between her legs as she touched the hem of the loose grey shirt with the arms cut off. Inch by painstaking inch, she raised the sweat-dampened fabric, revealing a chiseled stomach and heaving chest.

Regina's chin raised slightly. She clicked her tongue when Emma reached for her sports bra and raised an eyebrow, dark eyes flicking to her black running pants. Emma followed the silent command easily, groin lurching with the lascivious, slightly objectifying stare lavished upon her body. Anyone else but Regina would have been punched.

Once free of panties and socks, she reached for her bra again. "Take your hair down." Sweaty yellow curls fell around her shoulders. Emma's heart pounded a staccato rhythm. Regina simply stared, and Emma almost covered the naked flesh, squirming under the scrutiny.

Regina smirked. "On the bed. On your knees." Emma lifted one knee and then the other, scooting until certain she'd not fall off.

"Pour the water on you. Filthy peasants should never be in the presence of a queen." Regina smirked, knowing how painful the bite of chilled water against heated skin was.

Emma averted her gaze, properly rebuked for daring to appear in her sweaty, disheveled state. "I'm sorry that I have displeased you, My Queen."

Regina clicked her tongue, and Emma breathed rapidly through her mouth and uncapped the bottle, the plastic circle fell to the floor. "Where shall I clean, My Queen?"

Regina hummed and studied her lover's exquisite body. "Left collarbone," she decided, one side her mouth pulling into a smirk.

Emma tipped the water against the proper area. "Hah!" She exclaimed. The cold water burned across her chest until the heat of her skin equalized the temperature. Her nipples became diamonds in an instant. Her free hand spread the water over her chest and breasts. Regina's eyelids fluttered with excitement.

"Head," came the second area, and Emma knew exactly where the last one would be. She tipped her face back, held her breath and emptied a copious amount above her forehead.

A hiss exploded through clenched teeth as frigid water dripped over her neck, shoulders and back. Her hips jerked forward when her eyes landed upon her lover once more. Emma scrubbed her face, tasting the salty water on her lips. She swallowed involuntarily, eyes lingering on every single inch of her incredible wife… everything but her eyes. She respected her queen.

"Rub your clit," was the next order, and pure adrenaline exploded in Emma's stomach. She'd masturbated before but never in front of her sexual partners. Slight unease shook her hand, and she pressed it into her stomach, sliding over taut muscles until the tip of her middle finger bumped the hooded bundle of bliss. She gasped harshly, struggling with her desire to make eye contact as the pressure slowly expanded beneath her hand.

Green lifted to brown, and Emma smirked at the hazy arousal staring back at her. Regina allowed the defiance for an extended moment, raising one eyebrow and rubbing the pad of her middle finger over her thumb in response. Emma's smirk grew into a smile, which turned into a wince when Regina flicked the middle finger against her thumb. The sharp crack of leather against flesh resounded, and Emma stared down at the red welt bubbling on her left hip.

She almost giggled when her brain finally registered the fact that Regina had just punished her with magic. Her first real punishment. She felt her mouth spreading again, hoping her down turned face prevented Regina from seeing it.

"Pour the water on your stomach. Clean your disgusting peasant pussy," Regina ordered darkly, reminding Emma of her station.

Emma followed, whimpering beneath the burning cold water on the most sensitive skin on her body. "Finger yourself, use two." Emma nearly came on the spot before her fingers ever slid inside of her.

Regina gasped, eyes slipping shut as a small muscle spasm of ecstasy shot pleasure endorphins through her veins. When they opened, she found Emma enthusiastically fucking herself at the foot of the bed. Her body jerked and coiled with the effort of remaining upright, and her high pitched gasps told Regina she was close.

"Stop," came the order that made Emma whimper.

"Please?" Emma begged. She was so fucking close.

"Do you think you deserve it?"

The question caught Emma off guard. Wasn't she being good? If she said yes, would Regina whip her again? What script was Regina following? She shook her head. "I came to you dirty and I have not pleasured you. Forgive me, My Queen."

Regina softened. God, the things she could do to her wife. Where the hell did she get off being so lucky? "Earn it." She lifted one leg and pressed her foot into Emma's chest.

Emma hesitantly touched her ankle and calf with both hands, wincing at the rough calluses sliding over smooth skin. Regina felt it, too. Another flick and a welt erupted across Emma's ribs. She hissed into the luscious burn left behind.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Your atrocious peasant skin scratches," Regina humiliated her lover further, and Emma hung her head in shame.

"I'm sorry I've displeased you, My Queen."

Regina snapped her fingers and soft leather bonds appeared around Emma's wrists. With a flick of her wrist, Emma's arms pulled forward, and she fell bodily onto Regina as straps appeared and attached her to either side of the headboard. Emma scrambled to find leverage on her arms, but the straps weren't long enough. She tightened her back muscles, pulled her knees beneath her, and raised her weight from her irritated lover.

"Pathetic little Savior. Can't even hold herself upright. Useless," Regina muttered as she slid from beneath her bound lover.

Emma whimpered and lowered her forearms to the now empty bed, presenting her ass to her lover. "I'm sorry, Majesty! I'll do better." A snap and a sting on the back of her thigh answered the apology.

"Do you think I'll allow you the chance to do better?" Regina taunted, and Emma's body quivered. Neon pink erupted around Emma's hands, pulling a smirk to The Queen's lips. She still struggled to control her magic, revealing her secret desires whether she wanted to or not.

"Please? I want to please you," Emma begged for another chance, but she honestly didn't see the restraints loosening any time soon, not until she'd been punished.

"Your clumsiness is going to make me late because I've had to stop and punish your incompetence. You don't deserve another chance." Regina crack the crop across her back, and Emma hissed. It hurt a lot more now that she wasn't filled to the brim with rage.

Clawed fingers gripped the comforter when three plunged into her tight pussy. She was so fucking close. Velvet muscles gripped at Regina's fingers. "Don't you dare come until I say so or you'll stay right here until I return from Council."

Emma whimpered and pressed her face into the bed. She focused on her breathing, willing the lower half of her body numb. The fingers disappeared, and a moment later were replaced by something cold and hard… and big… pressing against her entrance without penetrating her. Emma glanced beneath her body and glimpsed the bottom of a harness on her queen's thighs.

Regina wrapped trembling fingers around Emma's hips and held her steady. "Hold still," Regina ordered. The tone was harsh, but her face scrunched with intense concentration.

If Emma thrashed around, she risked injuring herself on the thick dildo attached to her harness. She pressed gently, met too much resistance, pulled back. Emma whimpered; she knew it was going to hurt. Regina moved to the nightstand and opened the drawer for her gel lube, and Emma took a moment to study what her wife intended to use as punishment.

The purple silicon shaft stretched at least nine inches from the harness and must have been two or three inches in diameter. Basically, Regina was about to stick nine inches of fist into her. Emma's heart pounded with fear as she watched Regina add a third round of lubricant. She'd be good next time. She'd do better, she vowed silently.

"Stay still," Regina ordered again and positioned the head against her tight pussy entrance.

"I'll do better!" Emma yelled when the tip stretched her open. A part of her screamed out for this to stop, and the other half wanted nothing more than to be called a dirty slut and fucked hard.

"Yes, you will. Fucking clumsy peasant Savior. How could you ever think you'd please a queen?" Regina taunted her gasping lover, distracting her from the three inches of dildo over-penetrating her.

"I'm s-sorry, Majesty. I'll do better. Please punish me. Teach me how to be better," Emma pleaded, grateful to Regina for the distraction.

"Who do you belong to, Savior?" Regina asked coldly and pressed another inch inside.

Tears sprung to Emma's eyes, and her knuckles turned white against the grip on the blanket. "You! I belong to The Queen."

Regina pulled out to the tip and inserted the same length in, building a slow rhythm. Emma whimpered and pressed her face into the bed. Regina grinned, satisfied with her beautiful partner.

"Do you want more, you dirty peasant whore?" Regina's dark voice slid up Emma's spine, and the sheriff found herself helpless to refuse.

"P-please, give me what you think I deserve, My Queen," Emma answered.

Regina's heart fluttered. How she'd missed this. With a firm grip on Emma's hips, she slowly forced the entire length of the shaft into her tight lover. Emma cried out over and over, spiking Regina's adrenaline with the vocalization of her pain.

"Does it hurt?" She asked needlessly, knowing it did.

"Yes," Emma breathed.

"Do you like it when I hurt you, Savior?"

"Yes."

Regina pulled back a few inches and then jerked her hips forward, slamming the thick shaft into her lover almost violently. Emma wailed and pressed her wet face into the bed, arms jerking frantically against the restraints. She repeated the motion, and Emma screamed again.

"Yellow! Yellow, yellow, yellow." Emma mumbled, almost ashamed of herself. She'd not stopped their game completely, but she definitely need Regina to understand how close she was to her threshold. "Red" brought the session to a complete and screeching halt, but "yellow" was their caution word. They made sense to Emma at the time.

"Are you okay?" Regina asked as she stilled completely. When Emma turned her head and revealed her tears, fear ripped through her veins. "Emma, are you okay?" Trembling fingers splayed over Emma's sweaty lower back, and Emma hummed into the gentle touch.

"Just not so hard. It's really big, and I'm used to fingers," Emma choked emotionally.

Sensing Regina's hesitation to continue though she'd not hit the kill switch, Emma moved on the shaft and impaled herself to Regina's hips. "Fuck your peasant whore, Your Majesty. She's too weak to please you," Emma humiliated herself, bringing Regina back on track.

It was slow and controlled, but the small movement and words pulled Regina through her momentary panic. Steadier hands claimed Emma's hips, and she slid the thick shaft in and out at a painstakingly slow pace. After a few minutes, Emma's cries of pain turned into moans of pleasure.

"You like that, Savior?" Regina asked and added a tiny bit of force into her thrusts.

"Yes!" Emma yelled and met Regina's hips, surprising both of them with the sudden jolt.

"Do you need to cum?" The shaft slammed into her lover of Emma's own volition, and Regina grinned wickedly.

"Yes! Please, My Queen," Emma begged. "Please. I want to cum."

"You can wait," Regina clipped casually and pulled the dildo from Emma completely.

Emma jerked against the restraints in frustration. "Goddamn it, woman!" She grabbed the straps and pulled again.

The sting of the leather crop tore across her back. Emma winced. When the entire shaft of the huge toy entered her mercilessly to the hilt, she squalled in pain. Her knees buckled, and Regina pushed down on her hips, forcing her to the bed as she pounded into her violently. She'd stretched enough to accommodate the size but not enough to take pleasure in the pounding. It just hurt.

"Are you going to be good?" Regina emphasized her words with another thrust and then ground her hips into Emma's ass.

Emma bit the blanket, but the cry rumbled in the back of her throat anyway. The rotation of Regina's hips only moved the shaft back and forth, stretching her further. "I'll be good! I'll do better! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Lesson given, Regina cropped her once more across the shoulder blades and then left her trembling on the bed as she removed the harness. She trailed one finger up Emma's damp spine as she moved to the head of the bed. Emma whimpered into the gentle touch, not having expected one.

It left as quickly as it appeared when Regina grabbed the back of her hair and jerked her head from the bed. Beautiful legs rested atop her arms as Regina repositioned herself against the pillow throne.

"You've done well, My Savior. You may claim your prize," Regina rewarded her with the honor of licking her pussy clean, and Emma accepted it with fervor.

Firm hands buried in golden tresses when an enthusiastic tongue slid into her scorching sex. Emma hummed in satisfaction along side her queen. The bonds on her wrist, the bizarre and disturbing events of the day, the strangely familiar social worker… all of it just melted away as she brought her demanding wife to climax.

She closed her eyes and lost herself in the repetitive motions. Nothing existed except Regina's moans of pleasure and gentle encouragements, telling her what a good girl she was. Finally, those almost forgotten hands in her hair tugged her away from the treasure she'd earned, and Emma growled in frustration before acclimating to her reality.

"Enough," Regina said gently. Emma blinked stupidly as if she hadn't realized she'd just given Regina her fifth orgasm.

"I must return to Council in 20 minutes. I wish to give you release," Regina explained to her confused lover.

Emma shook her head, "I just want to please you, My Queen."

Regina's heart melted at the desperation in her wife's beautifully raspy voice, made so by her cries of pain. She released one wrist and then the other, taking a moment to kiss the red marks on both before giving Emma full access of her hands.

"Then please yourself at the same time," Regina ordered softly.

Emma nodded in with that same dissociated expression on her face and slid her tongue through slick folds once more. She braced herself on one arm and slid the other beneath her body to rub her clit in time with her tongue's strokes against Regina's. Fingernails scraped at her scalp gently, and Emma hummed as the pressure between her legs swelled almost painfully.

Regina held her head in place and rolled her hips. Slick juice spread over Emma's face, and she reveled in the feeling of it. Two fingers slid inside, and she pretended they belonged to Regina. Even as she pleasured her, she wanted her queen's touch upon her body.

Emma faltered when she added a third and then attacked with new fervor to make up for the slight shortcoming. Regina moaned and pressed her face harder into her bucking center. Her hips met her fingers as she thrust upwards.

Slick walls clenched.

Regina gasped.

Emma sucked her lover's clit into her mouth and pulled hard. They tumbled over that edge together. Regina fell limp against the pillows, but Emma fingered herself through her orgasm and sucked on the distended nub in her mouth. Regina offered a throaty moan, unsure if her body was capable of another orgasm. Emma was determined. So she allowed her to try.

As Emma's second climax built on top of the first, she glanced up Regina's flushed and glistening body. Black, sweaty hair stuck to her face. Rouge claimed her chest and cheeks. She rolled her hips, searching for the friction inside that simply wasn't there.

"Inside, Emma. I need you inside of me," Regina ordered breathily.

The sheriff readjusted the arm holding her weight and slid two fingers into Regina's soaked pussy. She was so wet that Emma felt no resistance at all, so she added a third finger. A harsh gasp filled the room, and Emma's belly clenched. Her mistress was pleased.

"Emma," Regina whispered. "Emma, I love you." High pitched gasps accompanied every breath. Pressure built. Muscles clenched.

Regina teetered on that precipice, her body almost too exhausted to produce another climax. "Harder," she ordered.

Emma jabbed at the ribbed flesh within her, and Regina boxed her ears with jumping thighs. She nearly stopped from the shock of the sudden blow until she realized it had been a positive reaction. Fingers pumped mercilessly into two scorching, clenching caverns, taking both women higher.

"Emma!" Regina came off the pillows and grabbed Emma's back. She was so fucking close. Teeth scraped her clit and fingers punched at her g-spot simultaneously.

Heat exploded in her belly, and Emma followed her lover over the edge when nails scraped harshly against the sensitive flesh of her back. Regina collapsed into the pillows and Emma atop her hip, panting and glowing with satisfaction.

"Red, Emma, red. Come back to me, My Love," Regina whispered, barely making words in her exhaustion.

Like a slap to the face, that solitary word brought Emma to life. She slid up Regina's body and buried her wet, sticky face in her neck. "I love you, too, Regina," she whispered and then pulled back.

Regina hummed when the tang of her own juices filled the sloppy, affectionate kiss. "I love you so much, Baby," Emma whispered against her lips. "You're incredible."

"So are you, Darling. You may have just saved your mother's life," she only half joked. "I almost prefer her threats of banishment to the self-righteous pleas of my innocence."

Emma snorted and nuzzled into her wife's neck again. "Mom's going against The Council on your behalf?" She chuckled and then laughed outright.

Regina allowed her own chuckles to escape. "Your father, too. Between the two of them, I may actually see the other side of this without punitive action."

"Remind me to go visit them when I can walk straight again," Emma mumbled, already falling asleep. "Damn that thing was big! Why the hell do you have one that big?"

Regina smirked. "Darling, I spent my entire second trimester away from you. Between the hormones and my body's natural desire for sex, I spent a lot of time learning the art of masturbation."

Emma jerked up, suddenly wide awake. "Hold the fuck up. You stuck that in there with Annabel?" The last few words were nearly silent as her abused voice rose in octave.

Regina chuckled. "Eloquent as ever, Dear. And yes, it was the only thing that satisfied me at the time," she admitted without a hint of shame or hesitation.

Emma sputtered, opened her mouth, closed it, settled her head onto Regina's chest once more. Regina scratched at her scalp, content to stay put for a few minutes more. Emma's breathing even out almost instantly, and Regina pressed a kiss to the crown of golden hair before her.

"Emma, I have to go."

"Nu-uh. Tell them Sheriff Swan requires your assistance with a very important matter," Emma half huffed, half slurred like a sleepy child. Regina's smiled broadened.

"Darling, I have to go." Emma made fake snoring noises and tightened her grip on Regina's ribs. "Emma," Regina growled, frustrated that the childish behavior only made her want to stay more.

"Fine," she huffed and rolled away with a wince. "Yep, not walking straight tomorrow."

"Good," Regina deadpanned as she sat up and swung her feet over the side of the bed. "You'll think about me all day then," she tossed over her shoulder and moved towards the bathroom on wobbling legs.

"I already think about you all day," Emma mumbled and fought with the comforter until it covered her body to her hips. She rubbed her eyes with the backs of her hands. "Hey, if Snow and David are with The Council, who has our daughter?"

"Granny," came the echoing answer from the other room. "I was going to keep her with me until you picked up your phone, but Granny basically told everyone they were idiots for persecuting me when everyone was miserable in our world. Not to mention, I didn't intentionally bring everyone back to Storybrooke. I think they simply need convincing that I am no longer evil, as if our wedding wasn't enough proof. She resigned her position today." Regina finished cleaning herself and applying her makeup as she spoke and then emerged looking like a movie star fresh from the dressing trailer.

Emma groaned and rubbed at her sleepy eyes again. "A social worker from Massachusetts stopped by this morning. I guess they haven't transferred Henry's case to Maine yet, seeing as Storybrooke didn't technically exist in this world until I broke the curse."

Regina sighed heavily, pausing for a moment to study her exhausted wife. "Belle told me. She finally made an appearance this afternoon to speak on my behalf." Regina's deep, silky voice strained, and Emma opened her eyes. Had Belle confessed the extent of Regina's torture in order to save her?

"I'm sorry I can't be there with you," Emma apologized. Regina waved her hand, ending the conversation, and disappeared into her huge closet. The rules of royalty sucked.

"You were here for me a moment ago, Em," her wife assured as she emerged from the closet with her clothes.

Emma propped her arm behind her head and watched her naked wife cover her body one piece at a time. It happened with growing frequency that Regina allowed Emma staring access as she dressed, and it secretly, or not-so-secretly, drove The Savior crazy with desire. She'd lost most of the baby pudge, much to Emma's chagrin, but her figure remained full and luscious. The sheriff jerked bodily when she snapped lacy black silk panties into place and raised an eyebrow. She knew exactly what made Emma climb the wall.

"Stop that. I'm sore," Emma scolded playfully. Regina smirked and slid into her skirt.

No matter how The Council decided in the next few hours, Emma made her feel beautiful and desired. That was far more important than winning their approval. Let them take her post as mayor. Let them ostracize her. They'd never take her family away.

She won no matter how the cookie crumbled.


	3. Complications

Sweet Doves, Thank you for the quick reviews! I love seeing some familiar faces.

Some fluff for you… because damn it, Belle needs a little bit of loving. I've been unduly mean to her recently. And then some angst.

Songs: Damn by Leann Rimes, Music of the Night as performed by Gerard Butler, Not a Pretty Girl by Ani DiFranco.

* * *

Belle sighed for the millionth time in the past five minutes and readjusted her head against Ruby's chest. Small, hesitant fingers traced at the scars left by Cora's magic torture, and Ruby cracked an eye to stare at the frizzy brown hair mussed by the sweet love they'd just made. Belle missed the movement, completely enthralled by the thoughts flitting through her hyper brain.

"You gonna say it or sigh into my chest for the next three hours until I have to be at the diner?" Ruby poked lightly at the potentially sleeping dragon within her girlfriend.

"I'm just thinking," Belle said in what Ruby assumed to be a reassuring or comforting tone. In a way it was because Belle wasn't torturing herself at the moment, but her eyes rolled anyway.

"Really now?" She clipped sarcastically, and dull nails scratched at her chest in retaliation.

"About Amelia and Regina," Belle elaborated huffily.

Ruby's forehead furrowed as she craned her neck. "Seriously?" Belle raised her head in confusion. "We just made love for…" she squinted at the digital clock beside the bed. "four hours, and five minutes after, you're thinking about other women?"

Ruby chuckled, letting her sometimes positively daft partner know that she joked. Belle groaned and dropped her forehead between Ruby's breasts. "Sorry," she mumbled around the flesh cooled from sweat.

She rolled her head back and forth against Ruby's breast plate. "Even when we're not under attack, our family finds trouble. And yes, Amelia is part of the family now. Emma adores her like you adore Regina. So, you can release that great big breath you just took in preparation of your inane protest." Belle scolded her lover, barely keeping the giggle from her voice.

Ruby's chest deflated beneath her forehead, and Belle raised it to study her wolf's eyes. They remained a steady, beautiful brown as they had every day since the night of the wedding when Belle refused her sex. The iron shackles she snapped around the wolf that night had yet to waver. It wasn't easy, Belle knew, but Ruby took the it from the equation completely, released her of the obligation of quelling the rage.

And this night, they'd made love for the first time since before the wedding. Perhaps the first time ever, at least with only her and Ruby. It was different without the wolf present. Slower. More intense. Ruby even teared up somewhere in the middle. They never fell, but they were there.

She smiled and brushed a reverent thumb over Ruby's lower lip. Ruby propped an arm behind her head and studied her partner's face, watching as each thought appeared on the stage and then flitted away, immediately replaced with another. "What are you thinking about now?" She asked quietly and buried her free hand in sweaty brown hair, taking a pointed moment to brush her thumb down the length of the scar on her face.

Belle dropped her gaze and clenched her jaw. "I'm not sure you want to know."

Ruby cupped her cheek and tilted her face up with a thumb beneath her chin. "It's okay, Baby." Ruby smiled sadly and brushed her thumb across her scar again. "I locked it away for you. It's nice to know that it's appreciated."

"Your wolf is a part of you, Ruby. It's not fair that you have to ostracize that part of yourself on my behalf." Belle protested, feeling guiltier with each second. "I told you that day we found Billy and I helped you learn control, I accept all of it. I understood exactly what I was getting myself into, and I don't want to be the reason you feel the need to suppress a part of yourself."

"You're not," Ruby whispered, voice soft and quivering with emotion. "I made this choice because I love you, not because you asked it of me. I might have to wear my cape every second of next week, but it's something I'm doing, not something you're demanding. We're focusing on you right now, and if it takes a year before you're okay again, then that's how long it takes."

Belle lowered her head again as she smiled through an emotional sigh. Ruby waited, knowing her lover shared when she felt ready. "And what if I want your wolf?"

Ruby smirked. "I think you know exactly how to get what you want."

"It won't confuse you or make it harder to keep control?" Belle pressed her ear between Ruby's breasts and soothed herself with the sound of that strong heart just beneath the surface.

Ruby traced the contour of her shoulder with feathery fingertips. "I'll figure it out as we go. If you want to take on my wolf and have a lot of rough sex, I want you to know that it's okay to ask for that. For now, though, I think we both need this. Just us and slow and gentle."

Belle hummed her agreement into Ruby's small breast but remained silent after that. Time stretched on. Ruby's eyes drifted shut once more, the pull of sleep stealing her determination to remain awake.

"I don't, you know," Belle said suddenly.

One side of Ruby's mouth pulled into a grin, but her eyes never opened. "I have no idea what you're talking about. You didn't share the previous thoughts leading up to that one," the waitress poked lightheartedly and then chuckled at her lover's exasperated sigh.

"No one ever knows what the hell I'm talking about," Belle laughed at herself. That statement, usually accompanied by self-contempt, amused her taste buds as the words rolled off of them that night.

Ruby forced her eyes open one at a time and waited, content to watch the lightness return to her partner's big blue eyes. Belle was healing. They were healing. It was beautiful, and a swell of happiness exploded in her chest. She swallowed the burn of tears at the back of her throat, tears of joy. She smiled.

"The first time we made love in Emma's cruiser," Belle started, stopped to blush, and finally raised her eyes to Ruby's. She halted momentarily to find shimmering milk chocolate orbs studying her.

At Ruby's widening smile and slight nod, she continued, "You told me something. Well, I think it was more of a desperate plea at the time, but I've been thinking about it a lot lately."

"That was two years ago. I can't believe you still remember that!" Ruby blurted, and Belle smiled shyly.

"You don't?"

Ruby sobered and mirrored Belle's shy smile. "I begged you not to regret me."

"I don't," Belle whispered and pressed a chaste kiss to her lover's lips.

It ended far too soon, and Belle recaptured Ruby's luscious mouth. Gods, she loved Ruby's mouth. It was wide without being awkward and her lips never chapped. When she smiled unencumbered by emotional burden and forgot to be sad for just one perfect moment, Ruby enchanted the entire room. She wanted it everywhere. The touch of those perfect lips upon her body healed her soul.

Ruby's mouth was magic. Pure magic. True magic. A magic reserved for her alone.

The wolf followed easily when Belle slid a hand beneath her ribs and urged her to flip positions. She stared down at her lover for an extended moment, reveling in the trust and devotion with a slice of fear. Belle had opened herself up, let her back in even after she'd treated her like crap and practically had an affair with Regina in The Enchanted Forest. It inspired a different type of fear in Ruby. She'd not regain this a third time.

When she'd had her year-long mental breakdown after the Cora situation, Belle never once left her side, never stopped trying, nearly drove herself insane trying to help. Ruby ran straight into Regina's waiting arms when the situation reversed itself. Stupid, stupid wolf.

She traced Belle's lips with her thumb. "What do you want?" She whispered, desperate to fulfill every emotional and physical need of her beautiful librarian.

"I…" Belle stuttered, caught completely off guard by the question. "Will you kiss my scars?" She asked, sounding almost ashamed of the child-like request.

Ruby took the shame and apprehension in stride and lowered her mouth to her lover's once more. Without breaking the kiss, she straddled Belle's thighs, her much longer legs cradling the librarian's. Rather than begin with the glaringly obvious scar on her face, Ruby dropped open mouth kisses down her throat and onto her collarbones. Belle's hands followed and hid in brown and red hair, encouraging her lover.

"What's this one from?" Ruby asked softly, almost inaudibly as she trailed one finger over the four inch mark between Belle's abundant breasts.

"Ruby," Belle protested the invasive query until warm, loving lips flattened against the mark.

"It's okay, Baby," Ruby soothed her with her words and then ran her tongue over the length of the scar. Belle shuddered and released a shaky breath.

"Reginald and I were on a supply run, that man who used to work at the grocery store and smelled like cheese." Belle gasped when Ruby sucked against the mangled flesh. It was still sensitive.

"He turned on me. Made a deal with Pan's people. We never made it to the ambush spot because I suspected something. He was acting far too nervous. This was the only mark he made before I…" Her voice cracked, and her eyes slammed shut as a wash of grief overcame her.

"It's okay, Baby," Ruby soothed absently and continued the tender massage of the bumpy skin with her lips and tongue.

"He made the wrong choice," Belle rasped and covered her eyes with one hand, the other clutching at Ruby's hair.

Rather than comment on the tears or offer useless comfort, Ruby pressed kisses onto the inside of each breast and moved to the next scar. Tiny, wet marks left a trail from the mark at the center of her chest to the thin white line on her left hip. Her brow furrowed. It looked older than the rest, but Ruby kissed it lovingly anyway. She was addicted to vulnerable Belle and nothing short of the library falling down or Alex having a nightmare would distract her from her assigned task.

"And this one?" Ruby asked and glanced up her lover's body.

Belle snort, a smirk spreading over her previously tortured features. "Is old. You've never noticed?" She wiped at her tears, chuckling at whatever memory soothed her ache.

Ruby wrapped a thin hand around her hip and propped her chin on the back of it. "I'm not usually looking at this particular area when I'm in this position."

Belle raised an eyebrow, acutely aware of what normally happened when Ruby's head drifted below her waist. "I was 15 or 16. My maid, Aliya was fumbling with the clasp of my skirt. I may or may not have squeezed it shut during the day in order to prolong the process." Her eyes glazed over in pure joy, and Ruby smiled along with her.

"At this point, I was completely naked from the waist up for at least ten minutes." Belle giggled and covered her eyes again, clearly embarrassed by her teenage self.

"Long story short, Aliya eventually caught onto my game. We'd grown up together from age five. She was my best friend, so when she demanded why I'd done this, I answered honestly, surprised the hell out of her. I suppose the adrenaline gave her the strength to open the clasp, which subsequently scratched my hip in retaliation for the joke."

Ruby smiled brightly and brushed her thumb over the precious scar. "What did you tell her?"

Belle laughed, cheeks burning. She scrunched her nose as she spoke, raising her voice in octave. "That I wanted to feel her breasts pressing against my arm for long than a few seconds."

Ruby buried her face in Belle's belly and cackled. Belle stared adoringly at her lover and ran her fingers through silky tresses. Ruby's hair was so beautiful and getting really long. It touched her waist now when she allowed it to hang freely. The wolf chuckled at random intervals and wiped the sweat from her face that sprung up in the heat of her laughter muffled into Belle's stomach.

She kissed the scar one more time and then brushed her thumb over it, moving down Belle's thigh. A clean gash disappeared beneath those mesmerizing lips, and Belle grinned down at her lover.

"Sword. My own actually. Little bitch was an excellent swordswoman," Belle announced proudly, seemingly unbothered by this scar. Ruby sucked at the toned thigh and lavished the tiny bump with her tongue. Belle gasped lightly, hips twitching uncomfortably, and Ruby moved to the other leg.

"Arrow," she strained against the sudden tightness in her throat. If Ruby knew that she'd awakened Belle's beastly libido once more, she gave nothing away, but Belle knew her sensitive nose smelled the fresh arousal between her legs.

Ruby hummed against the oblong scar and pulled her mouth away with a pop of the suction breaking. Belle quivered, stomach clenching wonderfully. The waitress settled between her legs and slid her arms beneath her thighs, hands wandering over her sides and ribs.

"Please," Belle whispered when Ruby hesitated.

Having received all the encouragement needed, she ran the tip of her tongue into slick, hot pleats of womanhood before wrapping her lips around Belle's clit and sucking lightly. Hips rolled, and fingers pulled lightly at her hair. Ruby grinned against her lover's smooth skin and glanced up the undulating body, made so by her touch.

She was a stupid, stupid, idiotic, ungrateful wolf woman. How had she ever taken this incredible person for granted?

Ruby built her up slowly, one millimeter at a time. Her mind became lost in the repetitive motion of delicately swiping the flat of her tongue from entrance to clit, over and over. Belle moaned and gasped and bucked against her face, searching for more friction, but Ruby maintained control. She was a goddess and should be worshipped as such.

"Ruby," Belle panted. "Sweetheart, please. I need you," she said quietly. It wasn't a beg or a plea or filled with desperation. It simply was.

Ruby wiped her mouth and slid up Belle's side, holding her weight on her elbow. When she pushed two fingers into her lover's already tight and sucking center, Belle half whimpered, half cried out in pleasure and hid her face in her wolf's neck. Tingling adrenaline exalted her emotions as highly as her physical pleasure.

She was undone, spread open in every aspect humanly possible. Fear and panic surged into her veins, and her partially blackened heart flopped inside her chest, searching desperately for a hiding place.

"Rube," she gasped.

Her entire body burned. Her mind clung frantically to the thoughts quickly shutting down, leaving her alone with only raw vulnerability and the woman she longed to trust unconditionally once more.

"Don't leave me," she whispered, and Ruby knew she'd have missed the words without her wolf hearing. "Don't leave me."

Over and over, Belle prayed the mantra of her greatest fear. The words increased in volume, building with the pace of Ruby's gentle strokes. Ruby nudged her temple with her nose, and Belle's head lulled onto the pillow. Her lips never once stopped that desperate plea; though it became less distinguishable the closer to climax Ruby pushed her.

When Ruby's lips ghosted over that most painful scar upon her face, she stilled. The wolf curled her fingers and rubbed the hub of nerves within her gripping walls.

She pressed her lips firmly to the scar. Belle sobbed. Fingers jerked into the leathery bundle, and Belle tipped over the chasm of oblivion with the sensation of her lover's lips upon the mangled flesh she considered hideous and unlovable.

Ruby wrapped her in strong arms immediately and pulled the quivering woman against her chest. "Hell itself couldn't rip me from you, Belle," she whispered against the bumpy flesh of her lover's scar. Belle cried harder.

She cried as Ruby soothed her heated body with soft caresses upon her back. She cried as the beautiful mouth of her lover showered her scar with tender and accepting kisses. She cried as the knot of fear loosened in her chest, squeezed away by the strength of the inhumanly strong arms around her body.

She cried because she felt beautiful for the first time since aborting Rumpelstiltskin's child.

She cried because she was worthy. She was worthy of feeling beautiful. Worthy of family.

Worthy of love.

"I love you."

Ruby smiled against her scar. "I love you," she returned, tears of her own softening her voice.

She finally relinquished her attention of Belle's scar and guided the librarian's head to her chest. After a few minutes, gentle puffs of breath upon her chest replaced the sniffles. The calm, steady beating of Belle's heart told Ruby's wolf ears that her lover had cried herself to sleep.

She pressed her lips to the crown of brown frizzy hair tickling her chin and held them there as her body finally succumbed to the long day and spent adrenaline.

* * *

Midmorning found a bleary-eyed Ruby crossing the street to the library with two cups of coffee strong enough to grow hair on her tongue and a paper bag of food. She stopped just inside the door and smiled at the sight that greeted her. Alex lay sprawled on the floor in front of the circulation desk. Her little blonde head rested atop a book, and she clutched her stuffed wolf tightly in the crook of her elbow. Belle swayed her hips gently as she sorted the stack of books on the desk and added them to the cart in the appropriate order for distribution amongst the stacks.

The black rayon fabric bounced against the middle of Belle's thighs, and Ruby grappled with the urge to sneak up behind her lover, nuzzle into her neck, and run a hand up the smooth skin on display and beyond. That probably wouldn't bode very well for her or Belle's obvious good mood.

"Babe," she called softly, hoping her voice carried over the music playing from the Ipod deck beside the stacks of books.

Belle gasped and whipped around quickly, skirt and black and red jacket furling and bouncing with the motion. Her surprise melted into delight. "I'm thoroughly enjoying this artist," she said as greeting. "Thank you for adding her to my electronic minstrel."

Ruby nodded. "I told you Ani Difranco was right up your alley," she gloated smugly and deposited their lunch on the counter. "Brought you chicken salad on toasted wheat with chives and relish instead of celery."

Belle wrapped her arms around the wolf's neck and rewarded the special treat with a languorous kiss. Ruby had to make it special because her preference deviated from the recipe used at the diner. She wrapped her arms around her waist and melded their bodies together, soaking up the feel good while it lasted. Belle's brain was unpredictable at the moment.

"Still incapable of conducting business appropriately," a clipped and entitled voice called from the door. Ruby and Belle sprang apart, one in embarrassment and one in fear.

"I'm sorry? Can I help you?" Belle sniped as she crossed her arms over her chest and studied the intruder with a calculated gaze. Ruby hovered protectively just behind her shoulder, allowing Belle to handle the situation as she saw fit as it was her library.

The woman donned a power suit similar to one Regina wore when she felt particularly bitchy. From the knee high leather boots with gigantic heels to the black knee-length pencil skirt to the royal blue silk shirt tucked sharply into the waist, this woman screamed haughty entitlement if not authority. What did not match was her youthful face, though not a strand of her mousey brown hair appeared out of place. Bright blue eyes bore into Belle from the girl that looked at least ten years younger than both of the confused and startled women.

"You've even traded your breeding for the hideous vernacular of the peasant with which you further dishonor your family," the woman insulted both Belle and Ruby in one carefully constructed sentence. "Shame, really. Your eloquence of speech was unmatched in our court, Sister."

Belle's arms uncrossed slowly and her face softened dramatically as she finally recognized the young woman. "Bethany?"

Ruby glanced between the two quickly, now seeing every singly similarity. "You have a sister?" She blurted unintentionally before her brain caught up with her mouth.

"Half," Bethany clipped. "I was the bastard child our mother died bringing into this world. I suppose Father made due after your abandonment despite my heritage." Ire and pain flashed in her eyes before she clamped it down.

Belle covered her mouth and took a step forward, stopped. "You're…" The hand dropped to her chest, and she clutched at her pendant for comfort. "You're alive."

She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head, clearing the gut punch daze of the moment. "Father told me that you'd died from a terrible illness of the chest. I assume he meant pneumonia as it's called in this world. I came back after Rumpel released me. Father disowned me." She babbled, her thoughts completely disconnected and random to everyone who wasn't Belle.

"As did I," Bethany answered coldly, and Belle flinched. Ruby twitched, nearly surging forward to comfort her distraught lover.

"I hid behind the tapestry of the throne room that night. I nearly cried out to you until you confessed to the slaughter of hundreds of innocent people at Breck."

Belle's spine straightened even if she felt like a bag of hammers slammed into her chest. Ruby watched the transformation with awe. Princess Belle just made an appearance.

"Why are you here? You clearly have no intention of reconciliation, and I failed to recognize you after eight years of separation. Why choose to reveal your identity now?" Belle demanded. Her voice was clear and strong, but Ruby noticed the tightened skin around her eyes, the slight strain of her accent. Belle teetered on the verge of tears or anger, maybe both.

"I was spared the first curse. I have lived in secrecy for nearly a full year in this world and wish to destroy the monotonous chains of servitude clamped upon my wrists by your father." The woman sniffed haughtily and raised her chin slightly. Damn she was a hard read.

"Mayor Cochran informed me that you have a complete record of identities and addresses for each person in Storybrooke. I wish to find my father." Bethany fidgeted once, the only indication that she felt anything but vindication and confidence.

Belle's shoulders fell to a more relaxed and habitual position as she nodded. "What was his name in The Enchanted Forest. I never knew until I was nearly 18 that you were not of the same lineage as me." Belle babbled as she rounded the desk and opened the safe containing the precious information.

"He was a knight of your father's court, a personal guard to our mother. Edward of Malcon was the name mother used in her diary."

Belle's head jerked suddenly. The book slipped from her fingers and clobbered the lower platform of the desk with an echoing thump. "Beth," Belle breathed.

The girl dropped her head and gritted her teeth. "Father had him executed after Mother's death, didn't he?"

Belle closed her eyes against the agony as the kind knight's spontaneous condemnation so many years ago as a traitor suddenly made perfect sense. "For treason," she confirmed and forced herself to look upon her little sister's heartbroken face.

"Then I have nothing, no one," the girl uttered, clearly at a loss. As quickly as the vulnerability came, it disappeared with a straightened spine, a raised chin, and defiant icy blue eyes.

She turned sharply on her the toe of her boot, and Belle rounded the counter again before she took two steps. "Wait, Beth. Stop. You have me." The girl stopped, shoulders quivering with the effort of controlling her emotions.

"You are not my sister," she clipped coldly. Belle bowed her head and released a steadying breath through her nose.

"Be that as it may, I still care for you, and I want to help. I understand that you are angry with me. You may even hate me, and that's your choice, but let me help you until you can support yourself in this world."

She glanced at Ruby and spoke silently with her eyes. Ruby nodded. "Bethany," Belle continued, "you can stay in a room at Granny's until you find a job. Free of charge. Just until you find your feet."

Bethany whirled around, fiery anger etched into lines far too old for her youthful face. "I am fit for nothing but to run a court and be a wife. Unless you have means of providing those things, I've done nothing but exchange enslavement to helplessness to become a prisoner of pity."

"How the hell did you get like this?" Belle blurted suddenly. No trace of that kindhearted girl she adored remained in this cold and spiteful young woman filled to the brim with rage.

"One must become whatever necessary to survive," Bethany seethed, surprising the couple.

"Hey," Ruby finally spoke up. "I know Stacy is swamped at the mayor's office without an assistant since Regina went on maternity leave. Maybe you can help out there temporarily until you find out what else works for you? That's sort of like running a court," she offered, hoping she hadn't exacerbated the situation by speaking.

The words physically impacted the girl but not enough to soften her angry features. "If it is possible, that may be an acceptable position." Bethany spoke but made eye contact with neither woman. How the hell had she become so angry at the world?

"Come on," Ruby said and headed towards the door. "I'll take you across the street and get you a room."

She squeezed Belle's arm in passing, and the younger French damn near hissed at the contact before whirling dramatically and stalking out of the library. Ruby offered her lover a small smile of encouragement and chased after the raging former princess.

Their lives just became far more complicated.


	4. Suspicions

Sweet Doves, thank you for the reviews! They make me happy.

Enjoy!

Songs: Beautiful Soul by Jesse McCartney, Hunger by Amaranthe

* * *

"It's perfect, Regina. Thank you, Mayor Cochran." Katy smiled at the two women and then wandered into the abandoned warehouse.

It wasn't much, but Katy apparently saw something that they never thought possible. Hazel eyes glanced around the empty building with a sense of awe and appreciation. The youth center had become Katy's baby. She'd fought for it before The Council, held fundraisers, begged for donations of time or money or supplies. Now, this day, she helped Captain's dream take its first breath of life.

"Sweetheart, here are the keys," Regina said and handed her the small ring of only two keys. It was a huge undertaking.

"Katyline!" A male accented voice called from the door. Regina watched Katy's shoulders slump forward in frustration. She turned begrudgingly and found a few classmates led by a well-muscled boy with sandy blonde hair similar to Katy's. All of them held mops or buckets or brooms or some sort of cleaning supplies.

"Whoa! This place is huge!" The boy exclaimed and glanced around in awe similar to Katy's a few moments ago. "I saw Marco loading boards and hardware at his shop. He should be here soon."

He smiled brightly at Katy, his eyes softening slightly. "I always liked your hair in a braid."

Katy rolled her eyes and punched the boy in the gut. He doubled over and leaned on his mop, catching his breath. "Regina, Stacy, this is Jacob. We grew up in the same village in The Enchanted Forest. He has grown more annoying over the years."

"Hey," the boy gasped. "Bet I can still beat you in a race, even with a bruised diaphragm," he challenged, and the fire of competition lit in Katy's hazel eyes.

"In your dreams, plow boy," Katy dropped her voice menacingly. Regina and Stacy glanced at each other and then at the other teenagers rolling their eyes or giggling at the obvious flirtation that Katy seemed completely oblivious to.

"Ready?" Jacob asked and tossed his mop to the side.

Katy rolled her eyes. "Stakes?"

"Whoever loses has to be slave for a day," Jacob offered, a glint of hopefulness in his eyes.

"Fine," Katy conceded and took her place at his side. "When I win by at least a three second lead, I also want a ride to school everyday next week. Henry is murderously chipper in the morning."

"Oh come on, Katy-don't, you like your…"

"Go!" Katy yelled and took off towards the opposite wall of the warehouse.

Jacob scrambled to catch up, but Katy practically flew the distance. Even had the start been fair, the boy would have lost pathetically. Katy smirked, barely breathing hard by the time Jacob reached her.

She held up a hand, thwarting his step towards her. "Don't." She ordered.

"Katy-don't, I'm your slave boy, remember?" Jacob taunted his rediscovered friend who was wound too tightly for her own good. She squawked indignantly when he caught her around the waist and hefted her lithe body over his shoulder.

"Jacob! Put me down this instant!" She ordered to no avail as the boy trotted dutifully towards the group of people they seem to have forgotten existed.

"Can't do that. It's my duty to fulfill your every need, and right now, you need to cross this warehouse," the boy taunted, enjoying his role as slave far too much.

"Uhhh, what the hell is wrong with Katy?" Ruby asked as she entered with Alex in one arm, the other around Belle's shoulders.

Any answer stopped short when Katy yelled again. "You do realize that I have the ability to paralyze you from this position. Put me down!"

Jacob snickered, and Katy retaliated by clasping her fists together and bringing them violently upon his back. The boy fell limp to the ground and remained there. Katy stumbled a step and then caught herself gracefully. She straightened her clothes and stalked away from the moaning boy.

"Uhh, Katy, what did you just do to him?" Ruby asked, slightly freaked out. Had she honestly just paralyzed a person?

"Pressure point," Belle answered for the group. "He'll be fine in about half an hour."

Katy adjusted her shoulders and glared at the prone teenager in the middle of the floor. "Unfortunately."

"Marco's here!" Henry chirped and sprinted into the warehouse. He blew past the older kids and adults and slammed into Katy's gut.

Her face turned red instantly in anger. "Don't. You are like an insect that cannot be squashed or repelled." She pushed her little brother away roughly, and he bounced onto his butt. He sprang up immediately and dusted himself, not one bit embarrassed. Katy was just being Katy.

"Goddamn it!" announced Emma's arrival. All eyes turned to find white goo on her neck and shirt from Annabel's spit. She switched arms with the infant, keeping her from her own mess.

Regina smiled tenderly. "I do believe you've become her favorite target, Darling."

Emma glared. Regina relieved her of their daughter and then pulled Emma into a lingering kiss. "Good morning," she whispered as she pulled back.

"Sorry that I didn't make it to bed last night," Emma answered.

"Mmm, thank you for allowing me to sleep while you tended our fussy daughter," Regina countered the apology. "Remind me to thank you later." She winked and kissed Emma again.

The teens giggled and blushed. Some of them whooped and hollered, and the women parted with endeared but irritated grins. Emma rolled her eyes as she pulled her t-shirt over her head, revealing a white tank top beneath. She'd come prepared.

"Must you women constantly slobber over one another?" Bethany sniped, heels clicking smartly against the concrete. Emma snorted at the younger French and pulled a wipe from the diaper bag and handed it to Regina who cleaned the spit off her neck and chest.

"Guess Belle got all the sex appeal," one of the guys whispered, but it echoed in the empty structure.

"Enough," Belle threatened coldly, and all of the teens had the propriety to look adequately shamed. "Put those damn brooms and buckets to use. Preferably at the other end of this building. Right now." The teens followed her instructions, poking fun at Jacob as they passed.

"You needn't defend me, librarian," Bethany sniffed indignantly, insulting her big sister and her support at the same time.

Belle stared at the impossible little snit that was her sister. Could she do nothing right? She removed Alex from Ruby's arms and sat her gently on the floor. Bethany squeaked when Belle wrapped her arms around her lover's neck and very visibly shoved her tongue into Ruby's mouth. When Ruby overcame her shock, hummed sensually into the attention, and slid her hands over Belle's waist, Bethany huffed and stomped towards the volunteers setting up her table and chairs where she and Stacy intended to tag team the signups for volunteers willing to teach classes.

Stacy chuckled. "She is a terror, but I've gotten more work done in the past week than I have since Regina's leave. And I've finally had a free night to spend with my fiancé," she dropped casually.

"What?" Regina asked, more from shock of how the information was delivered than the information itself. "When?"

"Archie proposed two nights ago," she gushed girlishly. "I just wanted everyone together before I told you." She squealed, practically vibrating in place. Stacy was still as excitable as ever.

"Miss Cochran, you intend to deafen my daughter, don't you?" Regina sniped. Stacy shrugged and presented her ring, undeterred by her former mistress' irritation.

The response died in her throat when Lauren's voice called from the door. "Look who I found!" She announced happily. Amelia clung tightly her arm and leaned against her friend for support. It'd only been four days since her accident, but she'd only lost a ruptured spleen thanks to Eva.

Emma rushed forward and took her other arm while Belle snatched a chair and set it off to the side. Amelia settled into the seat gratefully as Emma knelt at her side. The surgeon looked frail and hoary but in high spirits, as she should be. She nearly died, saved only by the freak luck of her sink leaking which led her to be a few minutes late to check on her potion.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Emma asked tenderly.

"Indeed," Bethany reinserted herself into the conversation. "You nearly died, Dr. Shepherd. I imagine the mental trauma as terrifying as the physical reality of your own mortality." Her voice crossed between morbid fascination and harsh mockery.

Everyone stared at the young woman, some in shock, others in disdain. Belle seethed, "Have you positively no soul? Do you enjoy seeing Amelia in pain?"

"I enjoy seeing all involved in the world of magic in pain," Bethany answered honestly without a trace of shame or wariness of her psychopathic behavior.

Belle stepped into her personal space, her face an inch from that of her taller but younger sibling. "Get the hell out of my sight before I make you hate magic more."

The French women faced off, and Bethany might have given in first, recognizing that everyone in her life at the moment only tolerated her at Belle's behest. A loud bang and the crash of what sounded like a bucket of screws skittering across the floor echoed in the larger space. Belle jumped, falling into a defensive stance with her magic at the ready.

"Babe, it's okay," Ruby intervened immediately practically hip bumping Beth out of the way. Belle hadn't flashed but been startled by the loud sound. She touched her shoulders lightly and then rubbed her biceps when she met no resistance.

"Henry dropped a bucket," Ruby informed her, pointing at her ear for emphasis on how she'd obtained the information.

"I'm sorry," Belle breathed and lowered her shaking hands as Ruby pulled her into a hug.

"Nothing to apologize for," Ruby forgave easily for the entire group. "I do think that's your cue to take off, though. It's only going to get louder."

Belle nodded, her fight with Bethany forgotten, and kissed her partner. "Alex, time to go help Granny, Sweetheart."

The young girl smiled up at her mothers from the back of the boy in the middle of the floor and then sprinted towards them without preamble. Ruby scooped her up and kissed her all over, making her daughter squeal and giggle in sheer joy.

"Wolf!" The girl howled, and Ruby joined in. Belle rolled her eyes and took a steadying breath. "Love you, Wolf."

"Love you, Tater Bug," Ruby whispered back and then kissed her daughter on the cheek before handing her to Belle. The librarian lowered her to the floor and took her hand; Alex wanted to walk everywhere now because she was a big girl… according to her three year old mind, anyway.

"Alex, go give Temma and Amelia goodbye kisses. Be easy." Belle encouraged her daughter and watched her wobble away for a moment.

When she fixed her gaze upon Ruby's once more, air caught in her throat at the love and devotion and concern in those beautiful brown eyes. "Are you okay?" Ruby whispered for her ears only. She nodded and kissed the wolf.

"Do you want to wear my cape? I'll need my strength today, anyway, so no sense in getting it dirty." Belle's heart swelled at the offer, and she nodded, not trusting her voice.

Ruby pulled the cape over her head without untying it. Brown eyes lightened to a dark yellow before Ruby pulled the wolf under control and shook her head. Strength and senses increased almost painfully as the full power of the magnificent creature she controlled filled her completely. It was wolf week. Belle watched in fascinated admiration and accepted the red fabric over her head.

"Love you," Ruby whispered and kissed her cheek.

Belle hummed, instantly finding her confidence and footing once more. "Love you. I'll see you for lunch. Try not to hurt yourself." She pecked her lips and moved past her.

"Stacy, please ensure that I am listed for the six o'clock slot on Wednesday evenings for dance classes." The mayor nodded wordlessly. "Lauren, please go check on Jacob. He should be moving in the next few minutes." She pointed towards the teen that poked one too many times at her fierce warrior of a niece.

"Katy?" Lauren said.

"Katy," a unison answer echoed on the block walls. Lauren snorted with a wide grin and ambled towards the boy.

Belle left without further comment, clearly upset by her almost outburst and the palpable tension with her sister. Alex gripped her finger tightly. Regina sighed deeply as she watched the tortured librarian disappear around the corner.

"She'll be okay, Regina," Emma soothed her wife's unspoken concerns.

Regina smiled. "I know. She's stronger mentally than perhaps any of us. I simply haven't the heart to tell her that her testimony made no difference in The Council's decision to depose me."

"Seriously?" Amelia barked. "Those pretentious pricks are honestly stripping you of your titles?"

"Mmm," Regina hummed and smiled brightly at Emma. "I'm only slightly upset about the title of mayor, but I'm quite looking forward to being a stay-at-home mother and wife."

"Me too," Emma agreed and pressed a kiss to her wife's cheek and then Annabel's soft hair.

"Love you, Squidgelette," she whispered. "Seriously, Babe, tell her today before the grapevine does."

Regina nodded, kissed Emma, and followed Belle.

"She almost seems relieved to have all of her royal and mayoral responsibilities taken against her will," Bethany observed aloud, reminding everyone of the presence they'd been adamantly ignoring.

"She is," Emma bit at the pompous young woman. "So is Belle, and if you don't start showing her some respect, I'm going to take my badge and gun off and give you an old fashioned ass-whoopin' without magic. If you think you know her or understand what she thinks and feels, I'm telling you right now that you don't know a goddamn thing about your big sister who has done nothing but help you. So gather your proverbial excrement, Princess, before I toss you back into your father's flower shop and shackle you to the wall myself."

Emma stomped towards the door, stopped, turned to the side and clenched her fists. "We all understand that you have been through some bad shit. Join the club, sister. You're in good fucking company, Belle included. But do not believe for one second that you have earned or deserve anything we have given you, and if Belle says the word, we're done. Do you understand?" Bethany nodded apprehensively, not having expected the verbal assault.

"Good. Now, give us a reason to keep you around if she gets fed up with you," Ruby added as she passed the flustered assistant and clapped Emma on the back as they head towards the entrance where Marco's truck sat.

Stacy crossed her arms and huffed, "I expect you to be on time in the future," and walked away from her assistant.

Amelia hated everyone for leaving her alone with the bitchy 19-year-old. "Don't look at me." She raised her hands in mock surrender, her tone telling the girl that she'd not find any sympathy from her even if she wasn't able to get away from her.

"You're being a cunt, and you just got put in your place," Amelia continued. "Take the spanking like a big girl and make it up to them if you want to stay in the group. Blood doesn't mean much when it comes to family, not with these people. They've all lost far too much to count on blood for anything."

Bethany pulled up a seat and sat beside the recovering doctor. "What do you mean?"

Amelia sighed. Fucking hell. Of course the girl glommed onto her. "I mean that most of the people they consider family are not bloodkin. Regina, Emma, Belle, and Ruby. They're a foursome. It's like a weird circle jerk of heroic proportions."

"What's a circle jerk?" Bethany asked, distaste clear in her voice.

Amelia rubbed her forehead. "Never mind. Look, long story short, they are inseparable. You name it, and they've been through it together. Which means when one of them is particularly vulnerable, the other three circle the wagons until she gets back on her feet. Belle just happens to be the one on her ass right now. They haven't quite been to hell and back for each other, but I've been told that Neverland was pretty damn close."

Bethany wrinkled her nose at the vulgarity but ignored it in exchange for more information. "And why should Belle need protection? She appears to have everything she's ever wanted." Contempt bled into her tone, and Amelia sighed, trying to find patience for the angry teenage princess.

"Bethany, you need to ask your sister that question. Just believe me when I say that she does not find joy in using magic. It's actually quite painful for her, emotionally and physically."

Amelia waved her hand in dismissal. "Now, go find someone else to bug because you won't get any sympathy from me if you fuck up the chance to be a part of this family. No matter how much bad crap you tell me about or how bad I feel for you, I will always side with them. If you're fucked up in the head, they're the people you want on and at your side.

"Not to mention, they've saved my life more than once and gave me the ability to walk again. That's not mentioning the fact that I actually have a fucking family who loves and supports me just the way I am, no matter what. Not one person who really knows them will turn against them.

"Not even Ruby," Amelia laughed and then quieted as her eyes glazed with memories. "We can't stand the sight of each other most days, but she saved my life not even a week ago. I'd do the same for her at the drop of a hat," Amelia confessed, knowing in her heart that it was the truth.

"So," Bethany started and smoothed her clothes self-consciously. "You are stating that their only weakness is those for whom they care." Statement, not question.

Warning bells blared in Amelia's head, and she stiffened in the chair. "I think Stacy is waiting for you," Amelia said and nodded towards the mayor. Why the hell did Bethany want to learn the weaknesses of her friends?

"Of course," Bethany conceded regally and stood. "Thank you for taking the time to speak with me."

"Bethany," Amelia called to her when she took two steps away, "Why were you late?"

"Oh, I had an early appointment at the hospital for some blood work," Bethany answered, but nothing in her voice or behavior indicated a lie. "The issue is a relatively new development that I do not wish to further discuss. Good morning, Dr. Shepherd."

Amelia stared after the girl with a heavy heart and pounding head. She was hiding something. "She's a piece of work, isn't she?" An amused voice derailed Amelia's dark thoughts.

"Caleb, what are you doing here?" Amelia asked, hating the girlish lilt in her voice.

"Well," the man started and sat in the recently vacated chair and took Amelia's hand. "I figured that Katy could use as many able hands as possible. I promise to volunteer here more often if you're going to be around until you recover."

Amelia swallowed anxiously when his brown stubble scratched on the back of her hand as he pressed a kiss there. "Are you buttering me up?" Amelia groused, feigning irritation at the sickly sweet comment.

"If I say yes, will you pretend I said something cooler?" He asked, clearly as anxious and bashful as she in their… whatever in the hell they had.

He'd been volunteering at the hospital for a couple months and had been at her side nearly every second when Emma and the others were unable to help her through the pain of recovering from surgery without pain medication. She was smitten in a way she'd not really ever felt before, and it scared the crap out of her.

"I think you'll have to work harder than that," Amelia teased and pursed her lips.

Caleb scratched his head, racking his brain for something witty. "What if I said that I think the fact that you can do magic without being magic is sexy as hell?"

Amelia cocked her head to the side, mouth twitching with the effort of concealing her stupid, goofy smile. "Better, but not quite."

Caleb sighed dramatically. "What if I asked you to come over to my apartment for dinner tomorrow night?"

Amelia's smile faded slowly, and she averted her gaze. She pulled her hand free of his and clasped them in her lap. "As much as I'd love to, Caleb, I'm not having sex for at least another few weeks."

"Hey," he caught her attention gently and cupped her cheek, bringing those deep, brown eyes to his much lighter hazel. "I said dinner, not sex. I'm not that kind of guy. I was a humble blacksmith in our world, and I'm a construction worker here. I don't have a lot to offer, but I do have respect for women. I want to get to know you, Amelia."

"I…" Amelia stuttered, stopped, studied the sincerity in his eyes and the boyish smile on his face. "Why?"

"Because I think you're interesting."

Amelia laughed humorlessly at the comment. "I'm a mess."

"Granted," Caleb agreed easily, following her thoughts as though he'd done it his entire life. "But you're an intelligent, sexy, talented, gorgeous, interesting mess that I very much like. I'll admit the fling with The Savior gave me pause, but I'm thinking…"

"Don't call her that," Amelia clipped, cutting him off immediately. "She doesn't like it."

Caleb nodded and dropped his eyes, apparently anxious that he'd insulted one of Amelia's closest friends. "Sheriff Swan?" Amelia nodded her approval, and Caleb glanced up at her without raising his head, boyish grin returning.

"I like having sex with women, but I'm not sure I could ever be in a relationship with one. I'm already insane, and women are practically insane by nature. Too much insane either gives you True Love like Emma and Regina or Eva and Lauren, but with my luck, I'd be the headline in a murder-suicide story." Amelia laughed, her good mood genuine.

She studied Caleb for a long moment. Her eyes slipped shut in irritated acquiescence. "Dinner tomorrow."

Caleb smiled brightly, and Amelia melted a little more. "Where can I pick you up? You're not staying at Granny's are you?" His sudden sincere concern excited her heart into a frantic rhythm so loud in her ears that she felt certain he heard it.

"I'll be sleeping on the couch at the Swan-Lucas mansion until I can find another place."

Caleb nodded, satisfied that Amelia would be properly cared for. "Six okay? It will take me about an hour to make dinner, but I don't want to leave in the middle of it to come get you if you don't mind watching me cook."

Amelia raised a eyebrow. "A man who wants me to watch him cook? I'm not sure any woman could say no to that. Six is good." Her stomach fluttered as she accepted the offer.

Caleb glanced around to find everyone else working while he chatted up Amelia Shepherd. He kissed her hand again and met her eyes over her knuckles. "I should probably get to work. Promise to watch my butt as I walk away?"

Amelia laughed outright and then grabbed her stomach. "Promise," she gasped, smiling despite the sharp pain in her side. And what a fantastic ass it was. He glanced over his shoulder, and she raised an eyebrow, smirk tugging her lips.

"Fucking move!" Ruby snapped at the smitten man. She carried two loads of boards, one under each arm. Emma had the other end of one and another younger man she didn't recognize had the other.

Amelia laughed silently, lips clamped in teeth to prevent the sound from escaping. Caleb whirled on one foot, barely missing the wolf, and then struck a pose and shot both fingers at her like guns with a click of his teeth. She rolled her eyes and cursed the girlish flutter and flush of her chest and cheeks. Caleb grinned like a shit-eating possum and then disappeared out the door. She watched every single step until no more of him remained visible and then stared at the door where he'd exited.

"What!" Emma's sudden terror broke the moment, and Amelia looked around to find Emma on her phone with a pale face and shaking hands. "How bad is it?" She listened, paced, wiped her forehead with her palm - Emma's tick of anxiety.

"Jesus F. Christ, okay. Yes, I'll get her there in five minutes," Emma's voice slipped into sheriff mode, which meant whoever called was freaking out.

Emma ended the call, and Ruby followed with an equally pale face, her wolf ears having caught every word. They each took Lauren's arm and escorted her to where Amelia sat. "Emma, you're scaring me," the nurse confessed, not even bothering to hide the terror in her eyes.

"There's been an accident at the hospital. Some kind of explosion in Eva's office. They're checking the gas lines right now. She's hurt really bad, Lauren." Emma explained gently, never relinquishing her grip on her friend's forearm and bicep.

She wavered, and Ruby wrapped her arms around her waist from the side just in case she fainted. "I'm okay," Lauren said in a strong voice. "If they have to treat her, she needs me there to cover her powers."

Emma nodded, "That's the problem they're having. No one can get close enough to help her right now. We have to go." Lauren nodded. "Rubes, keep an eye of things here. I don't want to leave Henry unattended with that damn social worker looking over my shoulder every other day."

Ruby nodded and released Lauren into Emma's capable hands. "Call Regina," she tossed over her shoulder.

Lauren quietly wrung her hands during the drive. Emma half focused on the familiar route and the distraught succubus equally. Arizona met them at the doors and led them directly to the triage room where a long line of nurses, doctors, and other staff were anxiously awaiting news of Eva's condition. The odd surgeon seer was well loved by her staff.

Compassionate hands squeezed Lauren's shoulder or nodded their encouragement. They were all there for her as well as Eva. A squall of anguish startled the nurse, and she took off in a dead sprint. "Eva!"

The door banged against the wall as she flung it open with more force than necessary. She barely stopped to assess the damage, but her right side seemed relatively unharmed. One hand slid into Eva's and the other cupped her face.

"Baby, I'm here," Lauren whispered, her voice quiet but confident. "Eva, you're okay. You're going to be okay."

"Lauren?" Eva whined. Tears flowed freely as Lauren took her anguish and gave her comfort and support and love. "Will you love me if I'm not a surgeon?"

Lauren allowed her own tears to drip onto her face and kissed Eva's temple. "Of course, you silly woman." Rather than assess the damage her lover sustained, Lauren pressed the crown of her head against Eva's temple. Eva needed her to keep her shit together. She wasn't a nurse right now, she was a distraught and emotional partner of a severely injured woman.

Emma, however, took in everything. The entire left side of her friend's body was either black or red and blistered. The burns were deep and nasty. Her body shook as if a raging fever gripped her immune system. Blue scrubs stuck to her leg and stomach. Her arm up to her elbow looked positively unsalvageable. The skin of her face and neck sported blisters and red splotches but looked relatively okay compared to her lower body.

"Eva," Emma called gently. She was still the sheriff, and as such needed an incident report. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"Office," Eva rasped. "Turned on light. Patient caught me in the hallway. I hung around the corner of my office door to speak with her. Explosion. Woke up on a gurney." Eva gave her an incredibly shortened version of events.

"Okay," Emma said. "I'm not going to touch you, Eva, but we're here. Regina's on her way. You're not alone." The sheriff said what she thought she'd want to hear in this particular situation.

Eva swallowed. More tears slipped out of her closed eyes. "Thank you," she whispered.

Emma nodded, though it wasn't seen and left the room. She glanced down the hallway of concerned and scared faces. "Anyone witness what happened?"

Most everyone shook their heads. A few people said the same thing Eva just told her, and Emma clenched her jaw in frustration. The fire chief appeared at the end of the hall and jerked his head lightly, beckoning her discreetly before walking away. Emma's stomach dropped.

"Hey Mike," Emma greeted once they met up in the parking lot near the fire engine. "What the hell happened?"

Mike hung up his hat and ran a hand over his gray buzz cut. "I'm not sure, Sheriff. The fire originated on the ceiling at the light fixture, and it looks like there was some sort of accelerant. I've never seen anything like it." He admitted without a trace of shame. It was a bizarre situation.

"Son of a bitch," Emma ground out between clenched teeth. "Smart. Drill a hole in the bulb, fill it with some type of fuel, kerosene or gas or diesel… anything flammable. When the coils reach the temperature of ignition, it blows. If Eva had been inside her office, she'd have been burned alive." Righteous anger surged into her veins, and her magic tingle in her palms. She wanted justice, not vengeance. It was a small relief, but at least it was relief of some kind.

"Who would want to hurt Eva Zambrano?" Mike asked, incredulity in his shocked and numbed voice.

Emma stared up at him with hard, determined eyes. "I have no idea, but I'm going to find out."


	5. Save Me

Hello Dovies! So, I've had a few requests for song lists. Please know that I am working on those, but there are many more that I listen to than are listed in the chapters. I have couple lists and individual character lists and specific emotions lists. So there's a lot, and as you've seen, my music selection is eclectic and extensive.

Also, I am still working on How Deep the Bullet Lies, so you can stop sending PM's, no matter how cute they may be, about that one. I got caught up in NiYA and WtD and now find myself having to rewatch season one for plot points, which is like pulling my leg hair one at a time, so bear with me. I'll get to it.

Enjoy Lovelies and let me know what you think!

Songs: Hunger by Amaranthe (Pretty much Emma's theme song for this fic), I'll Take Care of You by Dixie Chicks, Unconditionally by Katy Perry.

* * *

Emma rewound the tape. There was nothing there. She knew it. She'd watched the damn thing a thousand times already, and yet she rubbed her eyes, took a drink of cold coffee, and hit play. The janitor went in the night before, turned the light on, and brought the trash out 17 seconds later (she counted) and then absolutely nothing until Eva arrived the next morning. It took 14.3 seconds for the coil to reach the ignition temperature.

For the hundredth time, she watch the flash of light, saw Eva drop to the floor. "Holy fuck," a disconnected voice called from the doorway.

Emma's chair skittered across the floor as she found her feet and pulled her gun. It dropped immediately when Amelia held her hands up in mock surrender. "Don't shoot, Marshal. It's only Miss Kitty."

Emma holstered the service weapon and retrieved her chair. "Emma, have you been watching Eva…" she faltered and glanced at the screen. Bile climbed her throat, and she looked away.

"Have you been watching that all day?" She rephrased, unable to use her friend's name in congruence with the horror story playing out on the screen.

Emma ignored her and slumped into the chair, propping her head on her elbow. Amelia continued, "I saw her a few minutes before this happened when she released me this morning."

Emma closed her eyes and massaged her temples. Had she eaten since breakfast? "Amelia, I can't handle your emotions right now," she admitted quietly. "I have nothing left to give anyone today, which is why I haven't gone home yet."

Her head jerked up when Amelia sat something in front of her. "Regina asked me to drop that off for you. Belle and Ruby are home with the kids. She stayed at the hospital with Lauren and Eva."

"How is Eva?" Emma asked, not sure she wanted to know. She ignored the turkey sandwich and carrots and snagged the abundant supply of chocolate chip cookies from the brown paper bag.

Amelia accepted one and took a bite. "She's coping. Lauren's a wreck. They finally got the dead skin off. She's heavily sedated. I took a peek at the MRI of her hand."

Emma glanced up, and Amelia shook her head. "I don't know if it can be fixed. Her surgical career may be over. The Council has agreed to let her stay on as chief of surgery, though, in the absence of a more skilled or experienced person."

Amelia seethed quietly, using the anger as a buffer against the pain as she pulled a chair to Emma's side. "I think The Council has too much power. It seems like they control everything, the hospital, the mayor's office and by extension the sheriff's. And let's face it, The Evil Queen has wronged every single one of them in some way. Are we sure they're innocent?"

The coldness in Amelia's tone halted Emma's cookie halfway to her mouth. "Are you insinuating that someone is, what, after people close to Regina?"

Amelia snagged another cookie and wiggled into a more comfortable position. She was going to hurt no matter where she was, and she wanted to be with Emma in that moment. She sighed and dropped her eyes to the delicious disk of chocolate and sugar in her hands, knowing the next words out of her mouth contained information of an event she wasn't ready to discuss yet.

"I don't think I made a mistake," she finally whispered. "I wasn't even making anything volatile. It was some of that hair potion for Belle. She's constantly fighting with her hair and hasn't even bothered to fix it since she moved back to the library. She's a former princess, so I know that appearance is ingrained into her like it is Regina. I just wanted to give her a moment of peace, you know, one less thing to worry about."

Amelia sniffed and turned her head from Emma. The sheriff squeezed her thigh lightly and held it, enough to let her friend know that she listened but remained noninvasive. The doctor's chest shuddered with a steadying breath, and Amelia wiped her face.

"I thought the salt felt funny when I added it, but I hadn't used that particular ingredient in a while. I thought I screwed up because there was nothing in that potion that should have caused an explosion, much less one big enough to burn down an entire building."

Emma's hand tightened around her thigh, the only indication of her anger. "Are you telling me that someone switched your ingredients?"

Amelia nodded and twirled the cookie in her fingers, no longer able to stomach any form of food. "I didn't think it before, but someone clearly tried to kill Eva. I mean, I'm not a general surgeon, but if I had to, I could probably muddle through enough to save someone's life. The two doctors in your wedding party almost killed in the same week by seemingly freak accidents? Come on," she huffed and tossed the cookie on the desk.

She jerked up suddenly. "Stop the tape!" Emma jabbed the space bar and followed Amelia's wide eyes to the screen.

"Take it back a frame or two," she ordered, her voice deep and angry. "There. Fucking bitch." She pointed at the screen, and Emma's heart dropped into her stomach with a thunk and clang of righteous anger and undiluted rage. She hadn't recognized the outfit before, but now it became glaringly obvious.

"Bethany," Amelia seethed. The image was slightly blurry, but the outfit matched the one she'd worn to the youth center that morning, and the time stamp on the surveillance tape allowed for her late arrival.

"Emma, she wasn't just there," Amelia pointed out. "Take it back to before the explosion. You've been too focused on Eva, haven't you? Do you have a different angle? Maybe we can get a shot of her face. I know that's her. No one else but Regina and Belle wear heels that high."

Emma popped in a different tape, and watched Bethany call to the surgeon the second after she opened the door to her office. Both women flinched at the explosion. Amelia's hand slipped into Emma's as they studied Bethany's horrified face. The girl grabbed a blanket from a cart and tossed it over their friend, snuffing the flames. Emma had missed her presence before because the other tape only caught the back of her head.

"Bethany put her out?" Amelia sounded almost disappointed, and Emma stopped the tape on Belle's little sister during the moment of the explosion. She was terrified.

"You can't fake terror like that," Emma said absently as she studied her face.

Amelia shrugged. "That doesn't mean that she has nothing to hide. She didn't tell us. Everyone knows the territory claim Regina has laid on Eva and Lauren. Ruby still has Rumpelstiltskin's dagger, right?" Emma nodded. "Has he been explicitly ordered not to harm me or Eva?"

She clenched her jaw. "I'll text Ruby." The buttons clicked as she spoke. "Why would Bethany team up with The Dark One? Talk through this theory with me, just in case that's what's happening."

Amelia stared at her friend as if she just grew two heads. "Seriously?" Emma glanced up as she finished the text, confused by the incredulity in her friend's voice.

"Oh come on, Sheriff. It's about revenge. How sweet it would be if Bethany and The Dark One teamed up on the person they all believed responsible for ruining their lives. That girl has a lot of pure, undiluted rage towards her big sister. She was asking a bunch of questions this morning about your group dynamic and then made the comment that the only weakness you guys have is those you care about."

Emma dropped her head to the desk with a thump, and Amelia winced. Her poor friend needed another lump on the head like she needed another potion to blow up in her face. A foreign voice startled both of them.

"Sheriff Swan, are you alright?" Emma glanced up at the social worker who had been fraying her nerves all week. Where the hell had they met before?

"Aside from the fact that I am investigating the attempted murder of a woman I love very much, I am a ray of freakin' sunshine," she snarked and lowered her head back to the desk more gently. "What do you want now, Ms. Cramer?" She was too worn physically and emotionally to care about propriety.

"I simply came to ask how Henry is coping with this new development," the woman explained succinctly.

Amelia answered for her overloaded friend, "Henry is understandably upset. He doesn't know that someone attempted to kill Eva, just that she was injured. He's been at the youth center with me and Ruby all day and is now home with Belle, Ruby and his siblings."

Emma raised her head and squeezed Amelia's hand tighter. "How long do you plan to stay in Storybrooke? Not that I have anything to hide, but this has been a really, really shitty week, and you sort of freak me out because I can't place where I've met you before."

The words tumbled from Emma's mouth before she thought about them. She gritted her teeth and rubbed her forehead in irritation. Emma needed a break before she blew. Amelia sensed it but found herself powerless to help in the presence of someone unfamiliar with magic or Emma's past. To the outside world, Emma's trauma in Neverland and the battle with Zelena never happened, never existed.

"Ms. Cramer, clearly Emma has had a very long and very trying day. Perhaps it would set your mind at ease to come to Sunday dinner tomorrow night? We all understand that you have Henry's best interest in mind, and I think you'll see that he and Emma have an excellent support system and is surrounded by more love than a kid knows what to do with," she made the offer as an executive decision, hoping by simply seeing the whole family together set the woman's mind at ease.

The social worker nodded thoughtfully as she considered the offer. Amelia brushed her thumb over Emma's knuckles and pushed forward. "I think Regina and Belle are making lasagna tomorrow night, right? We're going to take it to Eva's room at the hospital. She and Lauren are family."

Madison Cramer nodded again. "I think I'll take that offer," she agreed. Emma released the breath she'd been holding.

"Great," the sheriff forced out, not really as happy as she sounded. "Six o'clock."

"I'll be there," the woman confirmed with conviction. "Good night, Sheriff, Ms. Shepherd." And then she was gone.

"Well, that was weird," Amelia wrinkled her nose as she stared at the empty space the woman just occupied.

"So is an invitation to a dinner that doesn't exist."

"Eh, maybe it should. I like Regina's cooking. Plus, I just blew off a date with the first man I've actually liked since I was a teenager, so you better fucking love me." Amelia crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her friend.

Emma kissed her cheek. "Thank you."

Amelia wrapped her arms around Emma's shoulders and allowed her friend to relax into the embrace before speaking. "It's okay to not be okay, Emma."

Emma stiffened to pull away, and Amelia tightened her grip. "No, you're going to listen to me." Emma stopped resisting though her muscles stayed tensed and coiled with stress of the pending conversation.

"We're not stupid. We see what you're doing, and it's hurting you. You lived with Regina's heart for almost a year. Even though you really didn't do anything wrong, you slept with two different people, which in your incredibly honorable heart and mind means you had two affairs and betrayed yourself and Regina and your family."

Emma shuddered against her shoulder and turned her face into her neck. Amelia's heart clenched in her chest. She'd caused some of this pain and a lot more by taking Emma too far into Regina's rage and vengeance. She bit down on her own guilt and shoved it into a dark cage in the back of her mind.

"You killed, Emma. Not just in self-defense, but viciously in the name of vengeance, starting with that unarmed man at the farmhouse where Mendell held Regina hostage. Only you know what you went through in Neverland. Only you know what you went through when you were alone in this world with Regina's heart. Everyone thought you were crazy, so I'm going to say it was pretty bad and lonely."

When hot tears dripped onto her neck, Amelia scratched lightly at Emma's scalp. "We have no idea where Neal is. Captain died. Belle's on the verge of losing it. As if this wasn't enough, you have a two month old child and now a potential murderer loose in Storybrooke who is yet again targeting people close to you."

"Stop," Emma begged her, fingers clutching at the back of her shirt frantically.

Amelia pressed a kiss to her forehead and shook her head. "I won't. Someone needs to push you about this stuff, Emma, or you're going to break. You need to let us in, Baby, or you're going to be in worse shape than Belle."

Emma shook her head. "I'll be okay." She knew, of course, that Amelia made excellent points. Teeth grinding, she hesitantly admitted everyone's greatest fear, "I've been thinking about using again."

"I know," Amelia offered without judgment or condemnation. She understood better than anyone else how much stress triggered that urge.

"I won't," Emma reassured her with conviction and determination.

"I know," Amelia smiled, relieved that Emma's fight and stubbornness remained intact. She'd intervened in time. Between Regina's unconditional love and support and her first hand understanding of addiction and Emma's devotion to her children, the sheriff stood a fantastic chance of emerging on the other side of this hell stronger and better.

After a few minutes, Emma's tears dried and left sniffles and red eyes as the only evidence of their presence. Amelia pulled back and wiped her wet face and tucked unruly blonde hair behind her ears. Emma tried to smile, but it missed her shiny green eyes, which held a hefty amount of shame at the perceived weakness.

"It's okay not to be okay," Amelia repeated. Emma nodded, not quite believing the words yet but wanting to.

"Come on," Amelia urged and struggled to her feet. "Lock your stuff up and take me to the hospital. I'll sit with Lauren and Eva tonight. You should be home with Regina and your kids."

Emma's phone buzzed and the hopeful softness of her face hardened as she read the message. "Ruby says that she never explicitly said not to harm you guys, just the kids and us. We'll rectify that in the morning. We always miss something." Emma berated herself, thinking she should have done better by those she loved.

"Just stop with this self-sacrificing savior bullshit, Emma. I'm not in the mood for your pity party. You're only human, and so is Belle and Ruby and Regina. You can't cover everything. You're figuring this out as you go. Lauren, Eva, and I all know the risks of being in your life, and if you are in fact being targeted again, we'll stand by you and fight to the death."

"Amelia," Emma protested, but the surgeon cut her off.

"No, don't Amelia me. We are exactly where we want to be. All of us were completely lost and alone until you guys wrecking balled our lives." She chuckled, thinking how incredibly appropriate that term described the foursome's way of doing things.

"We stay and fight because that's our choice. It's not something you've demanded in return for our continued acceptance in your family. We know exactly who you are and the dangers that come with that." Amelia smiled, cupped Emma's face in both hands and pressed a sisterly kiss to her forehead.

"I love you, you damn fool," Amelia whispered lovingly.

Emma snorted and covered the hands on her face. "I love you, too, you raging slut."

Amelia chuckled and dropped her hands. "I heard no complaints from your lips. Now, if I could only talk you and Regina into a threesome, all of my fantasies will be fulfilled."

Emma rolled her eyes and secured the tapes in her desk drawer and then locked her office door and the door to the bullpen before offering Amelia her arm to lean on. "Tempting," she finally answered, a million dirty thoughts flashing through her mind.

"Hah! Right, like Regina is going to share. The only thing I'd get out of this deal is tied up and fucked five ways from Sunday without being able to touch either of you," Amelia prolonged the joke while Emma's good mood lingered.

"And that would be a bad thing?"

"Mmm, not in so many words. I simply enjoy reciprocating as much as receiving. Call me a junkie for lesbian sex. Blow jobs sketch me out, though," Amelia laughed at herself.

Emma rolled her eyes again and opened the passenger door to her cruiser for the horny surgeon. "You're the oddest person I've ever met."

Amelia waited until Emma slid behind the wheel before answering the comment. "You mean to tell me that you prefer that to the elegance of your beautiful wife's naughty bits? I can speak from experience in that department, and daaaaa-yum."

Emma's brow furrowed as she thought about her answer and started the car. "First, please don't reference your intimate knowledge of my wife's… naughty bits. It literally makes me want to smack you in the face with an enchanted 2 by 4. Second, no, I don't prefer it, but it required less work."

Amelia hummed. "I remember."

Emma bristled, "Seriously, shut up before I find a board."

"My lips are sealed on the topic that shall not be named. Naughty bits are now Voldemort," Amelia joked, completely unmoved by the threat of bodily harm.

Emma snorted and then chuckled and then stopped in the middle of the road as she guffawed into the steering wheel. Amelia's laugh died in her throat as she watched for a brief, beautiful moment as the lines on Emma's face receded. The grief in her eyes disappeared, replaced by genuine joy. She wiped tears from her flushed cheeks with one hand and held her stomach with the other. For one incredible moment, she forgot to be sad.

Amelia offered her a devilish grin when she recovered, and Emma face palmed her and turned her head. "Don't look at me like that, and if you ever mention to Regina that this conversation took place, I'll revisit the enchanted board threat. Perhaps upgrade it to a brick."

"Duly noted, Madame Sheriff."

They allowed the comfortable silence to encompass them as Emma drove to the hospital and escorted her to Eva's room. It was dark. Regina sat in the corner and massaged both temples with two fingertips in a reclining chair that looked like a torture device for her back. Lauren dozed on the bed beside Eva. Her head rested on the burned woman's shoulder, and both hands wrapped around her unwounded right hand.

Normally, the medical personnel threw all sorts of hissy fits when a loved one crawled into the bed of a patient, but in Eva's case, Lauren needed to touch her at all times, even when both women slept. Otherwise, anyone who touched Eva caused her more pain. The succubus had a long few weeks ahead of her as much as her surgeon. Every second of her day suddenly revolved around keeping Eva's pain at bay. It was exhausting her already.

"She nodded off around an hour ago," Regina said quietly, drawing the attention of the two visitors.

Amelia nodded and stepped into the room. "I came to relieve you as the support crew. One of us is going to have to be here pretty much every second until Eva can tolerate the touch of another. Lauren isn't going to leave her side, not even to eat. We all know this, right?"

The newlyweds nodded as they came together for an exhausted and emotional hug. Regina leaned into Emma and wrapped a possessive hand around her hips. Emma covered Regina's head with her chin and settled into the comfort of having her wife tucked against her.

"We know, Amelia. We'll figure out a schedule tomorrow. Right now, I want to go home, kiss my teenagers, feed my daughter, and take a hot bath. Exactly in that order," Regina added with conviction.

She pulled back and stared up at Emma's tired eyes. "Take me home, Sheriff?"

"I'd be happy to oblige, Little Lady," Emma said in her best western cowboy voice.

Amelia made a gagging sound. Regina chuckled despite the horrendously degrading nickname. Emma felt too good beneath her hands for her to be offended.

"See ya, Marshal," Amelia called softly when they reached the door.

Emma turned without relinquishing her grip on Regina's back and tipped her invisible hat, "Miss Kitty."

* * *

Regina leaned her shoulder against the kitchen door and watched Katy load the dishwasher for a moment, smile spreading painfully. She clasped her hands in front of her black skirt, trying to hold the happiness inside of her with the protective gesture. The girl blended so well and so quickly with their family that it seemed as though she'd always been a part of it. She whispered something into Belle's ear, probably something filled with snark and possibly very dirty if Ruby's red ears and severe and sudden irritation indicated anything.

Fucking wolf ears. Belle still wore her cape.

Regina laughed silently once when Ruby flipped soapy water in Katy's open mouth as she tried to apologize for the comment that was meant for Belle only. Belle set a wet hand on her hip and glared at her lover while Ruby laughed out loud and Katy choked and spit.

"Children," Regina interrupted with a cautioning maternal voice, and Ruby's laughter petered into chuckles. Belle looked relieved, and Katy fidgeted as though she might have been in trouble as she usually was when Regina caught her pestering Ruby or Henry.

She propelled from the wall and took a few steps into the kitchen. "I'm going to bed. I wanted to thank you for waiting until we came home to make dinner."

Katy tensed when she tucked a strand of errant sandy hair behind her ear. "Goodnight, Sweetheart," she whispered.

Katy nodded still uncomfortable with overt physical displays of affection. She pecked Regina's cheek like a twelve year old boy stealing his first slice of female loving. Regina smiled endearingly and touched the girl's cheek. Katy, though inexperienced with traditional family behavior, understood the emotional moment that needed to happen for her adoptive mother in that moment.

Regina brushed a thumb over her cheekbone, and she held perfectly still, forgetting even to breathe. "I love you, Katy."

The girl started, fear erupting in her hazel eyes. Though the affection and acceptance and love were apparent in her new family, none had said the words aloud to her yet. Regina squeezed her cheek lightly and then glanced at Ruby and Belle who were both studying the moment with intense curiosity.

"Belle, Ruby," she held out her free hand to them. Belle slid hers into Regina's, and Ruby covered the top. "I love you both, so very much. Thank you for being in my life, for giving me a second chance when I deserved none. Belle, I do hope you'll spend the night."

The couple simply stared with slacked jaws. Regina smiled shyly at them and then at Katy before dropping her gaze, suddenly uncomfortable with the scrutiny of her emotional display. "Goodnight," she finished and turned towards the kitchen door.

She made it to the door before Katy spoke, "Regina." The former queen whirled around suddenly, that same smile on her lips. Katy sputtered, and Regina waited patiently for the awkward girl to gather her resolve.

"I…" she stopped, glanced nervously at her aunts, dropped her eyes to her fidgeting hands. "Me too. You, I mean."

Regina's eyes softened, and the vein on her forehead popped as her blood pressure increased. "Don't stay up too late. Goodnight," she said again and then made her way to Henry's room.

The boy breathed evenly, indicating sleep had already claimed him for this night. She marked the page in his book, turned off his flashlight, and kissed his temple. "I love you, My Little Prince. Without you, I'd have had nothing. None of this would have been possible if you'd never found Emma. You're the best thing that ever happened to me. Thank you."

"Love you, Mom," Henry mumbled. Regina's eyes slipped shut as tears burned the back of her throat. She swallowed and pressed another kiss to his hair.

Regina stopped by the next room and kissed Alex's forehead. The girl's lips moved in her sleep as though she suckled a bottle, and her stuffed wolf kept watched in the crook of her elbow. She brushed her hand over the girl's hair, "I love you, Little One." She scratched Gizmo behind the ears as she left, and the cat stretched across the foot of the bed.

She found Emma in the nursery, dancing around to a mainstream version of "Hush Little Baby," complete with piano and drums. It was pretty and a very Emma version of the song. She didn't know a lot of the words, but she hummed the tune to an already sleeping Annabel.

Regina again leaned against the door and simply watched, heart swelling with each moment. The deep lines that developed on Emma's face over the course of this exhausting day lessened, and a brilliant light shone in her tortured lover's beautiful green eyes.

"Emma," she whispered and took a step into the room. The sheriff glanced up from Annabel's sleeping face and smiled, completely unashamed of the tears in her eyes.

Regina joined them in the middle of the room and wrapped her arms around Emma's waist, sandwiching their daughter between their breasts. Emma leaned over the infant and kissed her wife. Regina pulled back, relieving her of the infant's weight at the same time. She pressed tender kisses to Annabel's face and head. "I love you, my sweet baby girl. You should stop spitting all over Mama Emma. Though amusing, it really isn't nice."

She turned to find Emma studying her with curious and adoring eyes. There was a softness in Regina this night that she hadn't seen before, not even when she carried her pure heart. This particular development had nothing to do with pure hearts or vengeance or victory or redemption. Something had changed within Regina, clicked into place. It's as though she'd finally found what she'd been searching for in her 60-something years of living.

Emma waited for Regina to come to her and accepted her gorgeous wife into her arms. Regina's slid around her neck as their bodies melted together. She smiled up at the confused but adapting sheriff and reveled in the sensation of Emma's strong, wide hands pressing tightly against her ribs and lower back.

"Take a bath with your wife?" Regina asked, an insecure quiver in her voice.

Emma squinted at the dark woman looking hopefully up at her. "Are you okay?"

Regina smiled and pressed onto her toes for a chaste but lingering kiss. "I'm free."

"Free?" Emma whispered against her lips.

Regina responded by sliding her hands down Emma's arms until their hands clasped. She pulled gently, and Emma followed to their bedroom, eyes never breaking contact with the slightly terrified brown ones holding her gaze. They stopped only when they were alone behind the closed door of their bedroom. She dropped Emma's hands and disappeared into the bathroom.

Emma's forehead furrowed at the sudden change in her wife and slowly followed when the water splashed against the gigantic porcelain tub. Regina sat on the side already naked and poured some type of scented oil into the steaming water. Emma cocked her head to the side when Regina met her eyes and returned the bottle to a shelf.

"You're kind of freaking me out," she admitted.

Regina crossed the bathroom and took her hands again, pulling her towards the tantalizing bath. She remained silent and gentle, but something darker lurked behind the brown eyes desperately searching green.

Before Emma deciphered the thoughts, Regina slid her hands beneath the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head. She dropped kisses along her collarbone as she reached behind her and undid her bra. Emma allowed her wife to undress her, sensing the need within the older woman even if she didn't understand it. Regina was changing before her eyes. She let her.

She knelt before Emma and removed her boots and socks. Warm lips found her hip as her jeans slid down her thighs. Emma stepped out of the pants carefully, chest rising and falling rapidly as the surreal and heady moment surrounded her. Regina had never before knelt in front of her, not like this, not with this… softness.

"Regina, please get up," Emma begged gently. It felt wrong for the former queen to kneel before anyone, much less the woman who promised to exalt her above all others.

Regina complied wordlessly and slipped into the bath. Emma squinted again, unable to figure out her wife that night, and followed once more. Regina shook her head when Emma tried to climb behind her, and Emma nearly had a panic attack when she sat in front of the other woman. This was not normal. This was weird. She was the damn savior. She was supposed to take care of people. This was most definitely not normal.

And yet, "You're okay, Em," soothed the momentary panic.

Soft arms encircled her waist and gently encouraged her backwards until her back rested on Regina's stomach, head propped against her collarbone. Panic rose in Emma's chest again. Adrenaline shook her hands as they covered Regina's.

Regina accepted the fear with patience. "Let me take care of you, Emma. Out there, in the world," she stopped to press a kiss to Emma's temple, "you may be The Savior and The Sheriff and The Princess and the heir to Snow White and Prince Charming's throne. In here, you're just Emma. My sweet, beautiful, loyal Emma with a big, stupid, beautiful heart to match. This is what I live for now."

Regina hummed contentedly into her hair and squeezed her tighter. Everything clicked.

"You're free," Emma repeated and sat up to turn off the tap. She rolled in the water and fit the curve of her waist over Regina's hip.

Regina accepted the new position with open arms and kissed her hair, holding her lips there. "You're not the queen or the mayor anymore. Hell, you're not even part of The Council, now. You're just Regina," Emma finally fit all of the oddly shaped pieces together.

Regina swallowed roughly, muscles coiling with an unspoken stress. Emma lifted her head and met insecure brown eyes. "Regina," she stopped at the emotional half sob, half deep breath her wife inhaled.

"You're enough, Regina. You've always been enough," Emma whispered as she cupped her face with a dripping hand.

She waved a hand at her tear-streaked face, "I'm being silly."

"No, you're not. You're being human, Regina." She kissed the valley between her breasts and traced small circles over Regina's heart with wet fingertips.

"I know how difficult that can be sometimes, with this," she tapped Regina's chest, indicating her dark heart. "That's what makes you so amazing. I've felt your darkness, but I've also felt your love. Both of them are of equal power, and the fact that you wake up every morning and choose not to give into the darkness and to nurture your love instead… Like I said at our wedding, breathtaking can't adequately describe you."

"Ever the poet, Emma Swan," Regina sniffed haughtily, uncomfortable with the romantic rabble from her wife, still after everything.

"Ever the bluffer, Regina Swan. I know my hopeless romantic makes you all hot and bothered in all the right ways." Emma dropped her gaze bashfully, unbelieving how incredibly in love with this woman she was. "It's what you've always wanted, someone to love you unconditionally, just as you are, and I do."

Regina smirked, "As arrogant as the day you blew into my life."

"Yup," Emma answered perkily.

When Regina rolled her eyes, she kissed her. It lingered as they repositioned their bodies to lay side by side. Legs and arms wrapped into tangled knots. It felt a lot like accepting their new life together, like letting go of the past, like starting something beautiful.

It wasn't perfect, but they never expected it to be. They weren't perfect, but their flaws made them more beautiful, made them perfect together. Regina's weaknesses were Emma's strength, and Emma's strength gave way to Regina's where her own shortcomings began.

Even with the new knowledge that their family may once again be in peril, their love grew, stretched beyond its threshold in their hearts and encompassed everything.

It healed. It strengthened.

Once again, it saved them from themselves.


	6. A Good Morning

So, I know this post is a day behind the holiday but I tip my hat to Labor Day and those who REALLY keep this country turning. The beautiful simplicity of the farmers like my grandparents, the harsh loneliness of driving a big rig like my brother (if you're in New England, be kind to those driving 18 wheelers and stop cutting them off like bloody idiots because it might be my baby brother who just became a daddy on August 20th!), the unwavering loyalty and gentleness of the sawmill worker my mama fell in love with, the greasy hands and hilariously foul mouth of my mechanic uncle. Over-educated black sheep such as myself have their place in the world, but those folks keep things going so that people like me can chase after education and read thousands of books and live in la-la land.

So, this is for them, and of course, "Hello, West Virginia Coal Miner! Let me thank you for your time!" (Even if I support alternative energies *hides*)

Enjoy, My Lovelies.

Songs: 40 Hour Week by Alabama, Some People Change by Montgomery Gentry

* * *

Ruby woke suddenly, not with a jerk of abruptness or with the adrenaline of a nightmare. She simply opened her eyes and found her mind wide awake. Darkness still claimed the sky outside the window, and the coolness of night chilled her room. She raised up on her elbow and stared down at her beautiful lover spooned into her chest. She'd slept better last night than she had since before their stint in The Enchanted Forest. Both of them apparently had no nightmares, at least not significant enough to wake them. It was a good night.

Belle was home. Maybe not permanently, but for one blissfully restful night, her beautiful partner rested safely in her arms in their home shared with Regina and Emma and their children. It was a much needed step in the right direction.

Their lives were so messed up, still, even after the magical threats had been vanquished. With the new knowledge of Bethany's involvement in Eva's attack, it was all she could do to keep her fiery lover in the mansion last night. Emma intended to handle the situation as professionally and objectively as possible, which meant waiting until morning to question the younger French.

Bethany jumped immediately to Eva's rescue. The burns surely would have gone deeper had she simply left their friend to the nurses who arrived at least 30 seconds after Bethany patted out the flames. That perhaps meant the difference between Eva recovering enough dexterity to continue her surgical career and complete and utter devastation of her left arm and hand.

Was Bethany kinder than they all thought? Did she distract Eva to watch the destruction of another magical being who enjoyed the company of the same sex and come to her aid to cover her tracks?

Ruby pressed her forehead into Belle's spine and sighed deeply. A glimmer of hope clung to her heart that her soul mate's little sister proved herself innocent to Emma. The mere sight of the pretentious little snit excited her hackles to sharp points, but Belle loved her and wanted desperately to reconnect to a member of the family who disowned her. It was a frantic and somewhat selfish act of redemption on Belle's part, but if those who condemned her forgave her, she might actually be able to accept her role in the Massacre of Breck.

Ruby gritted her teeth. A part of her hated Belle, hadn't quite forgiven her for the nightmares that occasionally haunted her dreams. On the really bad nights when she woke in a cold sweat and her heart literally hurt with the amount of adrenaline surging through it, a tiny voice in the back of her mind whispered that Belle deserved to feel the anguish of her abortion, that she deserved to be in constant emotional pain bred by the mistakes she'd made, that she deserved the sleepless nights when the memories of waging a war in Storybrooke gripped her mind and heart. And then she felt sick.

Belle made mistakes in her past, but so had she and Regina and Emma and every person who had ever had to make a decision. Every single time she watched her lover and their daughter together, Ruby knew that Belle made a decision that hurt her far worse than any nightmare or flashback. She'd paid her karmic price, doled out her own punishment in the form of an emotional torture that Ruby knew would never go away, not completely.

Ruby sighed again and tried to quiet her mind. Restful sleep came so rarely these days. As she settled against Belle's back and sunk into the heat beneath the blanket, she knew any type of sleep eluded her this night. Her body pulled for it, relaxed into the gentle pressing of Belle's stomach against her hand as she breathed deeply. The comforting and familiar scent of old paper and must mingled with the citrus and floral scent of her hair. She loved Belle's scent.

She was up. Her mind refused to stop.

She pressed a kiss between Belle's shoulder blades and slipped out of bed silently.

"Ruby?" Belle mumbled and rolled over, hand searching the empty space in their bed.

Ruby rounded the bed. "Hey Babe, I'm just going to the bathroom. Go back to sleep," she whispered and scratched her fingers into Belle's scalp. Belle hummed and nodded but her breathing already returned to the deepness of sleep. Ruby wagered that she'd not even remember waking in the morning.

Ruby's brow furrowed when deep lines etched into Belle's face. She smoothed them with her thumb, and slowly, they receded until Belle slept peacefully once more. So much loss. So much pain. All of them.

How were they supposed to keep going, especially with the possibility of a brand new threat?

She searched Belle's unresponsive face for the answer, and as she stared down at her lover, something clicked into place for the misunderstood wolf. She'd wasted so much time being angry at Belle and Emma, so much time being angry in general. Forgiveness wasn't some huge epiphany, a perfect moment in time where the anger and pain suddenly disappeared. It was a choice.

She swallowed thickly, mouth suddenly dry. "I forgive you, Belle."

A flood of relief and a thousand different emotions heated her body against the chill of the Maine morning. She was done being angry. She was done blaming the universe for making her a Heroine of Storybrooke, cursing herself for being brave and stalwart in her principles which often led to heroism, cursing her wolf as a burden. She loved her wolf; it was society that had a problem with it.

It's who she was.

A simple hero.

She wanted to run during wolf's time, wait tables at her diner, play with her daughter, and do right by her partner. Everything was for them. And when the call to arms sounded, she'd be the first to take an energy ball to the chest as she usually was. In the meantime, she needed only to be a hero to her family. To give them her undivided attention.

How could she help them move on? Help them heal? Help them love better? How was she supposed to know how to do those things?

A close-lipped smile spread on her face. She turned Belle's phone to silent, sent her a text, and then dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and slipped from the room. She ate a bagel as she waited for the coffee to perk and nibbled on another as she walked through the cool, quiet streets of her sleepy town.

Gooseflesh erupted on her arms in the chill, and she swigged the hot coffee, warming her body from the inside out. She keyed into the youth center and wasn't the least bit surprised to see Katy sitting in the middle of the floor in the dark. Her powerful legs rested straight in front of her hips and her arms held the weight of her upper body as she leaned back slightly and stared around the huge space that still required weeks of work. The fluorescent street light filtered into the windows near the ceiling and bounced off her hair, making it look lighter than its sandy blonde.

Ruby flipped the breakers that control the lights, and the girl jumped to her feet immediately as her fight response spiked. Ruby smirked but said nothing as she retrieved a roll of paper containing one of Marco's drafts. Katy joined her at the table and studied the draft.

"Go plug in the chop saw and get these cuts turned out for me. I'll show you how to build support sleepers for the stage when you're finished," Ruby said as she pointed to the list in the bottom corner of the sheet.

Katy nodded and then stared after her aunt as she walked away, sipping her coffee. "What are you going to do?"

Ruby turned back to the girl she'd come to consider a daughter of sorts. "Forgive," she answered cryptically.

Katy's brow furrowed. She watched the wolf for another moment and then followed her mentor's instruction. She donned her protective eye and ear gear just as Ruby had taught her the previous day and lost herself in the concentration of measuring, marking, and cutting. It was a blissful reprieve from the dark thoughts of the aunt she'd lost and the guilt for enjoying the family she'd gained because of that death.

When the cut list provided no further labor, she pulled the orange sponge plugs from her ears, left them to hang around her neck, and set her safety glasses atop her head. Ruby's new project nearly stole all of the strength from her legs. The wolf stood on scaffolding the nearly reached the roof and finished painting huge block lettering on light blue paint on the wall they'd just painted beige yesterday.

It read: _As we move forward, let us not look back in sorrow but follow their guidance into the future. _

Beneath the message that she'd freehanded like an expert, Ruby painted the names "Anita" and "Cassidy Parker" and then surprised Katy when she added "Citizens of Breck" beneath her friend's name. Ruby sat the brush down and then dipped the fronts of her hands into a pan of red paint. She pressed her hands on either side of each name.

"Come here, Katy," she called. Katy climbed the scaffolding quickly.

Ruby handed her the brush. "You should be the one to write Captain's name."

Katy nodded and took the brush with trembling fingers. She gave Ruby a grateful smile when she realized that her aunt's name had been sketched onto the wall in huge block lettering right beneath Ruby's words of wisdom. She and Ruby both repeated the ritual with the red paint once "Captain Marion Katherick" registered on the wall that was never meant to be anything but beige and plain.

"Thank you," Katy whispered. "I'll ensure there is always paint on hand, even after we've finished construction." She spoke with a quiet conviction as she added four more names to the wall beneath Captain's.

Ruby studied the girl with compassionate eyes as Katy stared at the names. "My parents and brothers. I am the only member of my family who survived the war between the White and Dark Kingdoms."

Ruby nodded. Nothing needed to be spoken. They needed to move forward. She gave Katy another few moments to let go of the person who had been her entire world up until two months ago and then bumped her shoulder with her fist.

"Come on. Let's get to work," Ruby pulled the girl through the moment.

Katy's hazel eyes shimmered as she looked up to the woman who seemed to constantly find an inner strength and courage unmatched by any she'd ever seen, even Emma. Ruby's mouth dropped open when Katy's stout arms wrapped around her back in a rarely given hug. Ruby wiped her paint covered hands on her thighs and returned the embrace.

It lingered only a second before they parted mutually and descended the side of the scaffolding. Ruby turned on the air compressor and then plugged Belle's Ipod into the empty deck someone brought in yesterday. Katy nodded when the older country music filled the empty space.

"Belle has the best taste in music of the four of you," Katy pointed out and hooked up the pneumatic nail gun.

"I'm learning as I go," Ruby remarked with a hint of amusement mixed with a reverence for her partner's aged wisdom. It finally made sense, Belle's music. It was simple, told stories of a modest dream, which consisted of an honest lover and a loyal family and an occupation that brought happiness. The newer stuff with better beats tried to emulate pop and rock 'n roll. There was no soul left to be found in that breed of country, but this, this was good.

"Grab the three inch nails and load her up. Can you handle her? She's heavy." Ruby asked. Katy nodded.

"Be careful to keep your fingers clear," she instructed as she assembled the unattached boards into the right pattern.

"We're adding supports every 16 inches. So, mark your boards. It's really easy because every 16 inches on the tape measure is red. See?"

"That's convenient," Katy said, pleased that something in this world was actually conceived with practicality in mind.

"The supports will straddle those lines but only one on each end," Ruby continued, falling into the peacefulness of the labor.

"Now, like I said, keep your fingers clear. If that nail hits a knot, it's going to take the path of least resistance, which means it could come out the side and right into your hand if you aren't careful." She slid her glasses into place and plugged her ears with the foam buds and then pressed ear muffs over her sensitive ears. Katy followed her example, minus the bulky head gear.

"Make sure to release the trigger quickly so you don't double tap, which means you could shoot two nails."

Katy listened carefully and loosed the first nail into the board. The heavy tool jumped across the board, and she glanced up to find Ruby chuckling. "Double tap," Katy whispered, the term making sense to her now.

The second time went much smoother, and soon after, they found their rhythm. Six sleepers in, Katy's wrist gave out under the weight of the tool now deemed "Big Bertha," and she happily switched places with Ruby who hefted the gun as though it were a plastic toy. Damn wolf strength, Katy cursed silently with a hint of awe.

They'd just positioned the sleepers on the floor where Marco had mapped out their rightful places when the arrival of other people halted their progress. Ruby's face lit up when the entire Swan-Lucas-French crew marched in, bringing with them the scent of bacon, pancakes and coffee.

"We brought breakfast!" Henry announced proudly and sat his bag on the table where Stacy had taken volunteer information the previous day.

"Holy crap! How long have you guys been here?" Emma blurted and gawk at the progression of the stage.

"Few hours," Ruby shrugged. A bright smile lit her face when Belle rounded the corner with a very grumpy Alex in her arms. The tiny blonde's head rested on her mama's shoulder, one tiny arm wrapped around her neck while the other hand played with Belle's hair.

Belle faltered at the sight of Ruby's gorgeous, unrestrained smile. It stretched past its threshold at the surprise, and Belle felt one of her own growing, the contagious sight taking root in her own lips.

"Katy, take Alex for me," Ruby requested quietly and then moved to the Ipod and scrolled through the songs until she found the one she wanted. She'd heard it a thousand and one times.

Regina grinned without looking up when Belle squeaked in surprise as her exuberant partner pulled her into a spontaneous dance. Emma squinted at Ruby's odd demeanor shift but remained silent and tenderly bounced Annabel in her arms.

"I got your text, so I figured we bring breakfast to you instead of calling you home," Belle said and allowed Ruby to lead her around the dusty warehouse.

"Thank you," Ruby said and kissed her cheek, smashing their bodies closer together with the strong arm about her ribs.

Belle giggled girlishly. "What's gotten into you this morning?" Glacier blue eyes sparkled with renewed love and affection, and Ruby's heart swelled.

She twirled the shorter woman twice before pulling them back together bodily. "I want to dance with you. Hold you in my arms once more. That's what they invented dancing for. I just want to dance with you." Ruby sang rather than answer the question properly.

Belle's chest and face flushed with excitement and arousal as it always did when Ruby sang to her or danced with her. They widened in shock when she looked up into beautifully clear brown eyes staring down at her dotingly.

It was the day before the full moon. Ruby danced with her without holding anything back. She'd been exercising her wolf strength only moments ago while working on the stage. Now, the dubious creature lay dormant in the recesses of her lover's strength of will and growing control, her red hood conspicuously absent. It was all for her.

"I love you," she whispered as the song ended. Ruby pressed a kiss onto her mouth and buried her fingers in frizzy brown hair as she towered over the librarian.

"I love you more," Ruby answered, and Belle melted.

"I doubt that," the librarian countered. Ruby offered another breathtaking smile, and Belle enjoyed it for a few moments before covering it with her own.

Belle caught sight of the paint on the wall when she pulled back again. Air choked in her throat, and scared blue eyes searched brown.

"Ruby, what's that?" She demanded, slight anger covering her apprehension.

"That," Ruby said as she turned. She slid one arm around Belle's ribs and waved the other towards the wall, "is for those who are ready to let go."

"You forgive me for Breck," Belle breathed, not sure if the words were supposed to be a statement or question.

Ruby pressed a kiss to her scarred temple. "I did, and will continue to do so everyday for the rest of my life," she whispered, lips moving against her lover's scar.

Belle rubbed Ruby's shoulders and laid her head on her chest. When strong but tender arms glided around her waist, Belle murmured, "You're incredible," against her partner's collarbone.

"When you're ready, you can add your handprints, but right now, there is something I want us to do together," Ruby said and took her hand, leading her towards the scaffolding.

Ruby grabbed a fresh brush when they reached the top and took Belle's hand as she dipped it in the blue paint. Her chest heaved as she met confused but trusting azure eyes. Gathering her resolve, she drew the first stroke. Belle stiffened beside her, grip tightening on her hand as she finished.

"Ruby, I can't," she started, shaking her head. She tried to pull away, but Ruby brought her back.

"Belle," she cupped her face and brushed her thumb over her cheek. "I need to move on from this. I want to have children, our children, and I don't want to feel like I need to avoid the topic anymore or feel guilty for reminding you of a choice you made because you really didn't have any other option. I don't blame you. I never did, but I need to move on and I can't do that unless you do, too.

"The pendants will only grant us a child when we're ready in our hearts. That's what Emma said when she gave up her magic."

Tears burned her throat, and she swallowed audibly as she dropped her head. "It's been over two years, Baby. It doesn't mean that we forget. It doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt anymore." She dropped the brush to the plank of the scaffold and brushed her fingertips over the name "Breck" and then "Anita."

"It means that we stop letting it control our lives," she finished as she traced her mother's name. "It's time, Belle. It's time to move on. I'm tired of hurting all the time. I'm choosing to be happy despite the pain, and I hope that you can choose that with me."

She traced the deceased wolf's name one letter at a time, eyes distant with memories. "I know you still have a long recovery ahead of you, and you may still flash back. They've only been happening for five weeks, but they're already getting farther apart. Loud noises or being grabbed suddenly are your biggest triggers. When Henry dropped that bucket, you didn't go back there, Baby, and you let me touch you immediately. You're healing," Ruby finished in an emotional whisper.

"Who was Anita?"

"My mother." Ruby's voice was deep and strained, evidence of her heightened emotional state. "She was a monster, a murderer. She hated humans and tried to murder the only one who had ever accepted me as I am at the time. In cold blood. I killed her protecting Snow White, and that moment has terrified me until the second I wrote her name on this wall."

She smiled again, tears of joy shimmering in her light eyes. Where had the grief gone that Ruby carried everyday? The burden?

"Wolves are only monsters if the people who harbor them are monsters. It's a choice, and I chose me. I chose you and I chose Alex and I chose our family, present and future. The thought of our child inheriting the wolf damn near sent me into a panic attack every time it crossed my mind, but I think… I think I'd like a wolf with blue eyes and a big brain." She met Belle's eyes shyly, and the librarian sniffed and wiped her nose with the back of her hand.

Belle dropped her gaze to the red paint and challenged it to an epic staring contest. The silence stretched, and those below quietly finished their breakfast, trying their best not to hear every single word reverberating off the walls of the brick structure. Finally, Belle wiped both cheeks with her fingers and exhaled shakily.

Ruby held her breath as her tortured lover bent over and dipped one hand in the red paint. With a shuddering breath, she pressed it to the wall beside "Our Lost Child." Ruby repeated the ritual and met her eyes as they held their hands against the wall, knowing they only really let go when they pulled away. Tears dripped and rolled on flushed cheeks.

"Ruby," Belle gasped.

Moving as of one mind, they fell together, spreading paint all over each other's shirts as they clutched at the only thing that really ever matter. Soft cries and sniffles and I love you's echoed in the warehouse, and the rest of their family wiped their own eyes.

Katy wrapped both arms around Alex and held the toddler tightly against her chest. Emma cupped the back of her neck and wrapped the other hand around Henry's shoulders, pulling him into a hug. He tucked his head under her chin, and she met Regina's eyes over his head.

The former royal brushed a loving hand over their daughter's full head of black hair as she suckled at Regina's breast. "I love you," she mouthed to her wife currently occupied with comforting their other children.

Emma smiled sadly and happily at the same time. "I love you, too," she returned silently, content to hold her wife's gaze until the emotional moment passed.

Katy turned her head from the rest of her family and clutched at the little girl in her lap for comfort. She shook bodily as the tears broke free with a soft gasp, and Alex turned in her arms and flung her tiny, tiny arms full of an enormous love around the older girl's neck.

She was too young to understand why everyone was crying. Even Henry looked slightly confused but knew that his aunts had just reached a major breakthrough in their emotional recovery. Emma and Regina already knew of Belle's abortion, but Katy, unlike Henry, understood enough of what they'd said to decipher what had happened without it being spelled out for her. All of the details were lost, but if Belle had been pregnant two years ago, then it was right after she'd been Lacey, which meant Rumpelstiltskin had taken advantage of her with the intention of creating a new heir to his throne of terror.

Belle stopped him at a horrible price, her natural affinity towards motherhood making the poignancy of the situation that much sharper.

Suddenly, more arms were around her, one set from behind and the other from the side. Belle and Ruby surrounded their two adopted children and cried with the eldest.

They wanted her.

They'd had the strength to let go of their own child but not the strength to let go of her when it would have been the easiest path. Granted, Emma and Regina officially adopted her, but that decision came with the understanding that Ruby and Belle came as a package deal with the same rights and privileges to her, legal or not. She almost wished that Alex was old enough to understand exactly how lucky she was.

She met Ruby's eyes over Alex's head as she knelt on the floor and then glanced up at Belle's staring down at her. They understood exactly what went through her mind, she knew it. "I love you," she choked and clutched Alex tighter.

"Love you, Kay," the little girl answered for her mothers.

They all released emotional laughs into their tears at the precious girl with the great big tender heart who was always quick to comfort a crying person, no matter how much older than her.

"We love you, too, Katyline," Belle whispered into her ear and pressed a kiss to her head.

It wasn't perfect by a long shot, but in the grand scheme of things, they were happy. Later, Emma became sheriff again and Belle became the big sister of a woman who may be in on a plot to kill her family. The ramifications of that were theirs to bear together this evening if they turned out to be true.

But in that moment, it was a good morning.


	7. But I'm the Sheriff

Thank you for the reviews!

Enjoy!

Songs: Hunger by Amaranthe

* * *

Emma rubbed her temples with a thumb and forefinger of one hand. The other supported her head on her desk. Bethany was scheduled to arrive any moment, and Emma hadn't yet found the confidence to be Sheriff Swan yet. She'd rather be at Ruby's side interviewing Gold right now, even though it was informal. Only Ruby possessed the power to ensure honesty from the slippery imp.

The sharp tap of heels at the end of the hall warned her of Bethany's entrance.

She straightened her spine and stood. Her feet found a grounded position the moment before Belle's sister rounded the corner. "Miss French," she greeted cordially, not a trace of the exhaustion and insecurity of a few moments ago present.

"Thank you for coming in on a Sunday and on such short notice," she continued and gestured towards the chair beside her desk.

"While I admit to curiosity, I am quite bereft of patience and amusement, Sheriff. May we leap directly to the point and bypass pleasantries for the sake of expediting this process?" The fussy princess sat regally on the edge of the seat and crossed her legs. A shiny black pump played peek-a-boo with the hem of her slacks, and Emma's brow furrowed at how much the young woman reminded her of The Evil Mayor.

"Of course, I only have a few questions," Emma returned politely, not one bit frazzled by the display of entitlement and condescension. She tapped the buttons on a tape recorder and met frigid blue eyes.

"I will be recording our interview as there is no witness. Is that agreeable?" The girl offered a curt nod. "Great," Emma said and leaned towards the recorder.

"This is Sheriff Emma Swan. The date is April 27, 2014. 10:27 am. Interview with Bethany French."

She pulled out a photo that she'd printed from the security camera of the hospital. "Can you tell me why you were present for the attempted murder of Dr. Eva Zambrano but failed to mention that fact only minutes later when you saw me at the Captain Marion Katherick Memorial Youth Center?"

"I…" Bethany stuttered. She readjusted her position and picked invisible lint from her slacks.

"I am a patient of Dr. Zambrano's," she said. "You may ask for her confirmation. She may confirm that fact, but my records will remain confidential. At the time of the explosion, no one realized exactly what occurred or the malicious intent. I believed it to be a freak accident of sorts. After I covered her with the blanket, I removed myself from the situation and allowed those with medical training to perform their duties."

Emma's jaw muscle clenched. "You got no satisfaction from seeing Dr. Zambrano injured? You stated in my presence only minutes later that you enjoyed seeing all magical beings in pain. A soul seer is a magical being, and this particular one keeps the company of several very powerful magic wielders."

Bethany's eyes narrowed. "Eva Zambrano is a good doctor. She does not flaunt her powers, nor does she use them intentionally. In fact, she and Lauren Danes actively work to suppress their powers in order to function normally throughout the course of their professional duties every single day. If I were to harm any of this sordid group, I'd not start with the only two who deserve my respect, no matter how repugnant their choice in partner may be."

Emma studied the girl with calculated eyes. She was telling the truth, and it pissed Emma off.

"Why not tell Miss Danes when she arrived at the youth center?" Emma asked and leaned back in her chair. The interview was over, but she was still curious as to what made this former princess tick. She didn't trust her, no one did, but they honored Belle's wishes.

Bethany sniffed and lifted her chin haughtily. "I did not wish to become further involved. News of the incident traveled quickly enough. Miss Danes is not considered a friend, nor did I find the obligation of informing her my responsibility. I am assistant to the mayor," she leaned forward conspiratorially and whispered, "not the sheriff."

Emma bristled. "You felt no compassion at all, knowing that Dr. Zambrano felt emotional and mental anguish from those trying to help her, knowing that Lauren Danes was the only person in Storybrooke who could ease that pain in order for her to receive proper medical care?"

Bethany leaned back in the chair, amusement twinkling in her eyes. The Evil Queen's bitch had teeth and an overabundance of spunk. It was impressive. She liked her. Too bad she was probably a target, too. They might have been friends.

"Lack of what you perceive as compassion, Sheriff, does not constitute guilt. If you have no further evidence of my involvement than a surveillance tape that clearly depicts me committing the compassionate act of snuffing out my flaming doctor, I'll take leave and enjoy the remainder of my morning in the solitude of my boarding room."

She stood, and Emma let her. She wasn't getting anything out of her. "Good day, Sheriff," she clipped.

Emma hit the stop button on the recorder. "Bethany," she called and slouched into her chair, knees widening in response to the more relax position.

When the girl faced her, she continued, "What are you hiding?"

"I'm not sure that's an appropriate question, Sheriff," Bethany remarked, a dark glint of defiance and naivety in her voice. Emma rolled her eyes.

"This isn't the sheriff talking. This is the best friend of Belle French talking. She loves you and is making more effort to connect with you than she has with any other member of her blood family. I know you're pissed off right now, but whatever you went through, Belle didn't do it. You really should start thinking about where you throw the blame."

The girl's face softened as she absorbed the words, and Emma backed off. She'd actually gotten through to her?

She continued a bit more gently, "she won't be around forever if you don't give her a reason to be. Belle is… she removes herself when she feels unwanted because she thinks she's being a burden to those she loves. If you keep telling her that you don't want her around, she won't be for much longer. Understand?"

Bethany's face twitched all over as the girl struggled to control her flailing emotions. After a few moments, she clamped down on them with anger. "I never asked her to be in my life. She insisted. I've made no grandiose sentiments of reunion, nor shall I.

"I have been exactly as I was the moment I came to her library seeking information. All that has happened since has been a direct result of her wishes, not mine. I simply benefit from them. It would be moronic to refuse such gracious offerings to spare the librarian's feelings."

She sniffed again, but Emma saw the cracks of uncertainty in her blue eyes. They read so similarly to Belle's. "Good day, Sheriff Swan," she clipped and then she was gone in a flurry of pissed off princess and tapping heels.

Emma watched her leave, stared at the empty space for a moment. With a deep sigh, she dropped her head to her hands and massaged her temples. Bethany French was a project for another day. She was no closer to discovering who launched such a malevolent attack on perhaps the most docile person in this whole damn town. Eva only wanted to heal, to help, and she did so at great personal distress and discomfort.

"Please tell me that was a high class call girl," a deep male rumble called from across the room.

Emma's boots hit the floor, knees recoiling from the force with which she propelled into a standing position. Her chair skittered across the floor and hit the wall. Service weapon appeared instinctively in her hands but remained lowered as the man attached to the voice registered in her mind.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She ground out coldly and holstered her weapon. Fury surged in her veins, so she maintained a careful guard, knowing her magic useless in the face of such impure emotion. She wanted him to hurt because it was the selfish thing.

"You won't return my calls or texts and then your number got disconnected. I wanted to make sure you were okay," the man said, the sincerity and genuine hurt in his voice blared caution sirens within her mind.

"Jason, you're the reason I had to disconnect that number," Emma griped and crossed her arms over her chest, stance widening. "When a girl tells you to fuck off, maybe you should listen. I really wanted to be your friend, Moretti, but you're clearly a whack job with an obsessive fixation on me. The fact that you are here right now gives me reason enough to arrest you for harassing a law enforcement officer."

Emma wished that she felt the confidence displayed in her voice. If she were honest, the man unnerved her. Jane kept her abreast of the latest Jason developments, and he apparently went off the deep end when Belle sent him the picture of Emma and Regina kissing with cake smeared all over their faces at their wedding.

He smirked and took a step into the room. "You and I both know that isn't true. You have no proof. Why are you being like this, Swan? I've done nothing but support and love you." His voice was gentle, wounded, like a wronged lover. Emma supposed that he was a wronged lover, even if she'd never loved him.

"Jason, listen to me," Emma stepped forward in what she hoped portrayed menacing. "I am married, happily so. I love my wife and I love our family. Go back to Boston and forget me because this isn't happening."

Jason only smiled at the suggestion. "Not yet, Emma," he whispered softly, like a lover spilling sweet nothings into the ear of his beloved. He stepped towards her again, and she fought the urge to step back.

The heat from his body pressed into her, and she gritted her teeth against the fear slamming against her thumping heart. "Jason, go home," she ordered in a deep growl.

"Come with me. You and Henry," he pleaded. Pleaded? Emma's brow furrowed. What the hell was wrong with this man?

"Not a chance, you piece of shit. Leave Storybrooke and never come back."

His hand struck unexpectedly, and she crashed into her desk. A _clunk-crunch _popped in her ears as her head collided with the bulky screen of her box computer monitor. Her jaw snapped excruciatingly as the collision with the screen reset it to the proper position. She hit the floor, gasping for air, and scrambled until her back hit the bars.

Her hand landed on the butt of her gun, but a hard soled boot stomped on the back, trapping it against the weapon. Something popped in her hand, but adrenaline covered any pain it may have caused. Her vision blurred, cleared, darkened. Something hot and wet trickled down her face and dripped into her mouth. She blew away the iron tang of blood, but more replaced it almost instantly.

"I will get what I want, Swan," he rasped into her ear. Her free hand groped behind her back desperately. God bless Belle French, she uttered in her mind, praying she stay conscious long enough to reach the knife her friend insisted they all carry.

She nearly cried out in joy when her fingers wrapped around the handle. She floated in the air, a painful pressure on her stomach. He hefted her over his shoulder. The knife pulled free, and she never hesitated. It sank into his back to the hilt. She hadn't a clue to it's location or proximity to his spine or organs, but he dropped her.

Air gushed from her lungs when she hit the floor on her stomach. She gasped for breath. Shaking hands never stopped moving, however. She squinted at the screen of her phone and punched in the code with muscle memory, not because she actually saw the numbers of the keypad for the lock. She called the last number dialed which was Amelia's number to check on Eva.

"Amelia," she forced out. Her friend's voice rose and fell on the other end of the line, but the words remained completely lost to her.

The world went black.

She woke to soft murmurs and an annoying beeping sound that suddenly increased exponentially in rhythm. "Amelia," she whispered. Her arm swept out in search of her phone.

"Emma," Regina's shaking voice soothed her. A warm hand slipped into hers, preventing her search.

"Call Regina. Help. Station," she babbled. Jason wouldn't stay down forever. She needed help. She couldn't see. Why couldn't she see?

"Emma, Darling, it's okay," Regina soothed her disoriented wife. "Emma, you're at the hospital. You're safe, Sweetheart. I'm right here. You're safe, Darling."

"Jason," she bit and tried to sit up. She couldn't let him hurt Regina.

"Jason?" Regina glanced up at Ruby, and the wolf held Emma in the bed.

Emma struggled for a moment and then went limp. Tears sprang to her eyes and dripped onto her cheeks. "I can't let him hurt you. Let me up," Emma pleaded and gave one last valiant struggle against her friend's strong hands.

"Emma, he's gone," Ruby offered, but didn't hold much hope of getting through if Regina couldn't.

"Regina," she sobbed, and the woman attached to the name swallowed and dropped her head, fighting her tears and gathering her resolve.

"I'm right here, Darling," Regina tried again. Emma flailed harder, still not registering her words or voice.

Regina floundered and glanced around at the nurses and her loyal wolf, completely at a loss. Finding no answers, her eyes returned to Emma's face.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine," she sang in a low, quivering voice. Emma calmed almost instantly.

It spurred Regina forward. "You make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away."

"Regina," Emma choked out and finally opened her eyes. The vision of her wife swirl and shimmered and then focused enough for her to make out the blurry contours of that beautiful face.

"Hello, Darling," Regina whispered, afraid to shatter the lucidity with a loud voice.

"Jason?" She gasped, still not completely acclimated to her reality yet. Ruby released her arms slowly and took a couple steps back.

"He's gone, Emma. He wasn't there when Ruby and I arrived. He was bleeding quite extensively, though. We'll call the hospitals in the surrounding towns and inform them of the incident. Amelia is checking your scans right now. Can you remain calm until she makes sure there's no internal bleeding in your brain?" Emma nodded, too tired and with too much pain to fight anymore.

"Henry?" She asked. He wanted their son. Brand new terror ripped through her.

Regina wiped her tears and shushed her. "He's with Belle and Katy at the house. They're on high alert, Darling. None who are not us will come near him or Annabel or Alex. Would it make you feel better if I sent Ruby as well?"

Emma nodded and looked around unsuccessfully for the wolf. Ruby stepped into her swimming vision and squeezed her shoulder. "I'll take care of them, Emma. Just stay calm and let Amelia take care of you, okay?"

"Okay," Emma tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace.

"Thank you, Ruby," Regina whispered and accepted the kiss on her cheek.

And then they were alone. Regina sat on the edge of the bed at her hip, held her joined hands to her chest, and brushed her thumb over Emma's bruised cheek lightly. When the silence stretched and Emma squirmed for lack of something to do, Regina hummed the sunshine song. Emma settled again, eyes slipping shut as the only lullaby she learned during childhood soothed her frayed nerves and vindicated fear.

Were they wrong? Had Jason orchestrated the strategic attacks on her family? Had he been stalking her, learning her movements and those of her friends? Did he know about magic?

Why couldn't people just leave them alone to live out their happy ending?

"How is she?" an accented voice asked from the doorway.

Regina startled from her reverie and met the icy blue eyes of Bethany French. She sneered and returned her gaze to Emma's face, ensuring her wife remained calmed in the presence of the intruder.

"Do you care?" The former queen seethed, body coiling with tension when three sharp slicks told her that Bethany moved closer to Emma's bed.

"I am here specifically to obtain information on her condition," Bethany answered. Regina huffed, recognizing the pretty sentence and stiff tone for what it was. Bethany cared for Emma. Whatever had been said during the interview or afterwards affected the girl enough to come in person to check on Emma's condition.

"She's partially lucid. She has a severe concussion, but we are awaiting Amelia's assessment of her scans to determine exactly how badly she was injured. Her right hand is fractured, but should only require a Velcro splint. That's all I know."

Bethany nodded and then stood quietly at the foot of Emma's bed. She'd passed the man at the front door of the station. "I've seen that man before, twice to be exact," she admitted after a long moment of studying the sheriff.

"What? When?" Regina demanded.

Bethany pulled a sharp breath through her nose at the murderous rage in Regina's eyes. Did they always have a hint of purple?

"I cannot tell you specific dates but after your wedding. I'm sure you've never noticed, but he watched you. I happened to be observing Belle simultaneously. I thought nothing of it at the time. People often gape at the Heroines of Storybrooke."

Regina studied the young woman carrying lines on her face and grief in her heart far too old for her 19 years. Of course Emma got through to her. Emma possessed a natural and uncanny ability to connect with troubled children, and that's exactly what Bethany was, a child. One forced to grow up too quickly, much like Emma. She was only three years older than Katy, but they all expected her to behave as they might.

Everyone except Belle. She still viewed Bethany as that 11-year-old girl she left behind when she sacrificed herself to Rumpelstiltskin in order to protect her family and kingdom. They all could have made a better effort towards patience for the intelligently bitchy former princess. Her breeding disguised her age, and they'd all missed the grief. Emma saw it.

"Bethany, we're having dinner in Eva's room tonight at six if you would care to join us. Amelia is having Emma moved there once she is officially admitted. I see no reason to change our plans since we'll all be there anyway." Regina extended the offer with a slight apprehension.

She really hadn't liked the girl from the second she set eyes on her. She hid things, and played with words and people. Regina knew better than most the games royals were taught to play in order to graciously and deviously obtain what they desired. It was a deplorable practice, one she had mastered quickly. Relief filled her heart; she was done with all of the political games.

"I've usurped enough of your time. I simply wished to inquire about Emma's condition. Having done that, I shall take my leave." Bethany bowed her head briefly and then departed without further comment.

Regina sighed and stared after the girl. Had she been that way? If so, no wonder no one invited her to anything. She chuckled at her former self and rubbed Emma's forearm. It was worth it.

Emma loved her as she was, bitchy and sassy and emotional and difficult and demanding and tender. She loved being all of those things. Those attributes weren't going to suddenly disappear because she no longer held any titles. She was enough.

"You're enough, Emma," she whispered and then laughed through her tears. "Oddly, I find you wouldn't be you without a hospital visit every month."

Emma moaned and cracked her eyes again. "I'm a mess."

Regina smiled through a raspy sigh and nodded. "You're my mess, Darling, and I love you."

"Love you, too," Emma mumbled, the words almost indiscernible.

Regina trailed the back of her knuckles over Emma's face, and a smile spread slowly on the sheriff's lips. "Sorry that I'm always getting hurt," Emma said as she suddenly sobered. Her smile dropped instantly.

"Emma, you were attacked by a 200 pound man who was trained to kill in the military before turning to police work. I'm putting the blame where it belongs, Darling, and so should you. You had no way of knowing that Jason would attack you." Regina touched the bruise on her cheek with the pad of her middle finger. Emma winced.

"It's not that bad, really. My head on the other hand feels like Ruby crawled inside my ear and wolfed out in my skull without an exit plan," Emma tried to joke, but the comparison was far too accurate. She hadn't thought it possible for her head to hurt this much.

"Hey, you're awake," Amelia greeted. Emma reached around Regina and offered Amelia her hand.

"And much calmer," Regina supplied. "She was quite disoriented when she awoke."

"That's to be expected," the neurosurgeon confirmed. She looked as exhausted as she felt. She'd been with Lauren and Eva all night, had only been released from the hospital yesterday after having surgery to remove her spleen five days ago. She needed a break.

She shook her head, silently asking Regina to withhold comment on her physical appearance since Emma failed to see straight. "Emma, I'm going to keep you a couple days just to keep an eye on you. There are no fractures on the skull, but you have visible scar tissue from previous injuries. You need to start protecting your head better because the damage is becoming significant."

Emma groaned and waved her hand in dismissal or at least it would have been had she not looked so weak and pained. "Can I have some aspirin or ibuprofen or witch doctor potion?"

"Yeah, we'll get you something now that we know that your brain isn't bleeding," she said and squeezed her friend's hand.

"I am curious, though," Amelia started and glanced between the newlyweds, "have you ever had brain surgery? This spot," she held up the scan and pointed, expecting it to mean something to the other two women, "that's a lot of scar tissue in the temporal lobe. Have you experienced memory issues or bouts of confusion?"

Emma moaned and tried to find a spot to push against the pressure in her brain. Amelia hit the nurse call button on the side of the bed while she awaited an answer.

"Sometimes," Regina responded for her wife. "Her short term memory has not been the same since returning from Neverland. Amelia, are you saying that Emma should have died without surgery?"

Amelia's gaze dropped nervously to the scans. "More than likely. There's also some scarring on the prefrontal cortex, which directly affects organization, impulse control, empathy. Not nearly as much damage as the temporal, but enough to make a difference in behavior."

"Ruby's blood," Regina whispered and rolled her eyes towards the ceiling, fighting off tears. "I made an antidote to a poison in Neverland. Dream Shade poison. It also contained physical healing properties. I gave it to Emma to expedite the recovery from the torture she endured. Is it possible that it healed her brain as well?"

Amelia nodded thoughtfully, eyes distant as she absorbed and analyzed the new information. Regina had forgotten how intense her former assistance was when puzzling out a problem. "It's highly likely. Ruby has been knocked around quite a bit but rarely suffers internal bleeding, not enough to constitute surgery. Either way, I'm serious, Emma. No more knocks on the head. Your brain can't take much more, not without significant, irreversible damage."

Regina squeezed Emma's thigh tightly and nodded. Emma truly needed to find another profession. Amelia increased the pressure on her friend's hand, having felt the slight twitch. It was the only indication that Emma acknowledged her words.

"I'm going to have you come back in after the swelling goes down for another scan. I'd like to see what's going on in there without the fresh damage."

A knock on the door interrupted them, and Amelia faced the nurse without releasing Emma's hand. "Kim, could you please bring some ibuprofen 800 for Sheriff Swan? Also, she is ready for transfer to room 307 when you have a moment. I'll help you take her myself once the paperwork is filed."

The nurse nodded and then flitted away to fulfill the requests. Amelia slid her scans into a thick folder and laid them across Emma's lap.

"Thank you, Amelia," Regina pulled the woman into her arms as she stood, and the surgeon returned the affection.

"I'm serious, Regina. There's a lot of damage," Amelia whispered for her ear only. Regina nodded.

"I'm well aware," she pulled back and straightened her clothes. With a glance towards Emma, she jerked her head towards the hall. Amelia followed.

"She was practically crazed in Neverland," she admitted and crossed her arms protectively over her chest. "I don't know everything, but I know that she died briefly. She had two severe head traumas within two days, one when she was kidnapped and the other when Rumpelstiltskin bashed her head into a tree. She was injected with some sort of sedative that effected her body only. She remained completely lucid and aware but unable to move while they tortured her."

Regina's chest shuddered as she released a fearful breath. To go through all of that and lose Emma to a simple concussion felt unbearable. Amelia set an understanding hand on her crossed arms.

"I know this is difficult, Regina, but the more I know, the better I'll understand exactly what the problem is. That sedative may have done more damage than the physical trauma. It had to have been some sort of neurotoxin. I highly doubt Neverland came with pharmaceutical companies."

Regina jerked fingers through her and huffed. "What the hell does all of this mean, Amelia?"

Amelia squeezed her shoulder. "It means that for right now Emma is fine. We're just being proactive, okay? To stop it from getting any worse."

Regina nodded and parted from the doctor silently when the nurse returned with a pill and cup of water. Emma swallowed it down quickly and then covered her eyes. Regina crossed her arms over her chest again, head bowed from the sight of her wife in so much pain. She took Emma's hand as the bed passed her and walked along side the gurney as they transferred Emma to Eva's room.

Their life would never be simple.


	8. Family Dynamics

So, I'll admit, I'm slightly disconcerted by the lack of response for this story. You guys still having a good time out there, or should I scrap it and start over? It's not fun for me if it's not fun for you. Not that I need external validation to finish, it's simply unusual, is all. I know it's fluffier than my usual stuff right now, but there's a lot to work through.

I do sincerely hope you enjoy, Lovelies.

Songs: This by Darius Rucker

* * *

By the time Ruby appeared several hours later with Annabel, Alex and Henry, Emma practically vibrated with the desire to get out of bed and move around. She had shit to do. Eva needed her to find out who tried to kill her. Jason took off and could be back to Boston by now. Finding those people was her responsibility.

She nearly demanded that Ruby take her back to the station, but their infant fussed and hollered, and immediately latched to Regina's breast the moment the nipple made contact with her lips. Emma winced at the sound and covered her ears, the urge to run quelled for the moment as her daughter reminded her of the massive trauma inside her skull. She needed another pill.

Regina punched the button for the nurse.

"When Ben comes, will you please tell him that Emma needs another ibuprofen?" Ruby nodded, and Regina settled into the chair with Annabel.

"Belle and Granny are making dinner," Ruby imparted and sat her daughter onto the floor and released her.

Alex wobbled to Lauren, and the succubus lifted her from the floor and snuggled the toddler between her side and Eva's uninjured one. The seer stirred, touched Alex's hair, and cracked her right eye.

"Hey, Babe," Lauren whispered. "Alex doesn't hurt, right?" Regina and Ruby smiled at the tenderness in her voice.

"Not yet," Eva rasped. Lauren reached for the foam cup on the table and held it front of Eva. The seer pulled a few small sips from the straw, and Lauren returned it to the table.

Alex sat perfectly still, except the hand that held the front of Eva's gown. "I want you to be better, Zambie. Love you," Alex murmured, and Ruby sent up a silent prayer that Eva's wounds were covered beneath gauze.

Eva smiled, tears leaking from her eyes. "I love you, too, Alex," she responded easily. She met Lauren's eyes over the child's head, and an unspoken conversation took place.

"Got it," Lauren said suddenly and retrieved the button that administered pain medication. When she pressed it, Eva nodded gratefully. They never spoke much, not aloud anyway. Verbal communication became obsolete when one sensed the heart's intentions and the other felt the energy of a person's life force.

Ruby heard the nurse approach and ducked out of the room to speak with him. Henry finally moved from the door and pulled a chair to Emma's other side. "You okay, Ma?" He asked and took her hand simultaneously.

"Yeah, Kid, I'm tougher than I look," Emma joked, striving for lighthearted and almost reaching her goal, but not quite.

Regina hissed and broke the moment. She glanced around at the confused eyes of her family and waved her hand. "She's becoming… ow… stronger in everyway," she stared down at her daughter voraciously going to town on her dinner.

Henry's face screwed up comically and reddened. He turned his eyes to his hand in Emma's. His mothers chuckled. Regina pulled a burping towel from the diaper bag and covered her exposed breast for the sake of her son.

They sat in silence until Belle, Granny, Katy, Snow, and David arrived a few minutes before six. Amelia showed up late as usual with Caleb in tow. Snow hogged Annabel. Belle dished out lasagna with Ruby's assistance. Katy retrieved her plate first and then tucked into a corner on the floor on the other side of Regina, protected from the crowd. Granny helped Alex get her plate and cut the food at the wheeled table near the wall on the other side of Eva's bed.

Ruby disappeared when her family had food and returned a few minutes later with her guitar. She stood near the wall across from the two patients and tuned the instrument before breaking into what had become her new theme song: "Wagon Wheel."

Her eyes slipped shut as she lost herself in the music. Her once again youthful face scrunched in a particularly soulful manner when she sang, "Lost my money playing poker so I had to leave town, but I ain't a-turning back to livin' that old life no more."

Katy's eyes slipped shut, and the warrior lifted her alto to Ruby's soprano, surprising the hell out of everyone when she harmonized perfectly. Even Ruby opened her eyes in shock, losing her grip on the frets momentarily before fumbling into the right notes.

Katy smirked and sang the next verse for the dumbfounded wolf. Ruby returned the expression and joined her for the chorus. The song ended too soon for Ruby's liking, but she immediately readied for another.

"This is for Emma and Regina," Ruby said and watched her fingers until they slid into the proper starting position. "I think you need a pick me up and a reminder that even though you got your ass kicked today, you kicked back harder and you have a beautiful family and sexy as hell wife who has eyes for you only."

Amelia leaned into Caleb's chest and watched the interaction. She was glad that he agreed to accompany her. Movement at the door caught her eye, and she rose slowly, halting the serenade. Bethany and Ms. Cramer appeared.

"I heard her inquire at the front desk about Eva's location. Apologies for my tardiness," Bethany explained and fidgeted uncomfortably by the door.

Belle jumped up from her seat on the window sill, waving Amelia off. "Would you like some lasagna?" She asked with bright eyes pointed at her baby sister.

Bethany's muscles tightened painfully. She glanced around at the faces staring up at her expectantly, eyes growing wider in sheer terror with each passing moment. "No," she said and bolted from the room.

Belle's brow furrowed at the extreme reaction along with everyone else's. "Ooookay," she drawled and turned to the social worker. "Lasagna? There's plenty, and I used Regina's secret recipe."

"I taught that girl that recipe," Granny muttered. Regina huffed in mock irritation. Emma and Ruby's mouths dropped open at the revelation. That's why Regina protected some recipes with the ferocity of a mama bear defending her cubs.

Henry cackled at his mother's busted secret. Emma glared at the preteen. He grinned like the cheeky monkey he was. "Henry, give Ms. Cramer your seat since you've finished eating. You can sit on my bed."

"Yeah, Ma," he said easily and transferred his butt from one location to the other in one motion. Emma held out her arm, and he leaned into her chest and shoulder. Her arm wrapped around his chest and held the opposite shoulder.

"Katy, you want to take the verses? Your voice is more suited to the song," Ruby explained, hoping to get the girl more involved.

"Song?" The teen clipped, clearly uncomfortable.

"This by Darius Rucker."

"Fine," she huffed and crawled from behind Emma's bed. She stared at the room from Ruby's side, wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans, and turned her back to stare at the wall. "Just play," she ordered the musician.

Ruby chuckled and started the song. Katy entered too early, stopped, wiped her hands again.

"It's all good. I'll count you in. And one, two, three go," Ruby instructed, helping the girl stay on track. Her voice quivered, belying the insecure girl beneath the stoic exterior.

Ruby really took this new perspective on life seriously on every level, and she pulled all of them with her. Emma found her fingers tapping on Henry's shoulder to the beat as she took the words to heart. Ruby was right. Everything they've gone through and will go through in the future always led back to their family.

Ruby held Belle's eyes as she sang the chorus with Katy, and Belle forgot her food. Ruby's attention was far more filling. The wolf mouthed the words of the verses, and Belle's chest flushed.

This Ruby, the warm and loving and doting person was who she'd fallen in love with over two years ago, and the feeling of rediscovering this person with two years of experience and maturity and wisdom made her fall into the chasm of love every single second. She'd done it all day since their moment in the warehouse that morning.

Amelia squealed girlishly when Caleb pulled her from her seat with a bit of coaxing. Her face turned bright red, but she allowed him to lead her into an easy dance a little too slow for the rhythm of the song. His intention of not overexerting the surgeon glared everyone in the face, and they glanced around with knowing smirks. Caleb may very well have tamed the wild child that was Amelia Shepherd.

"I do not approve this activity so soon after surgery," Eva berated her fellow doctor. Giggles circled the room, even Ms. Cramer cracked a smile.

"Shove it, Eva," Amelia sniped and turned adoring eyes up to the gentle man winning her heart.

"Wolf!" Alex demanded when the song ended. "Loozy Man song!" She clapped her hands, and her mothers melted, wrapping a little tighter around her tiny pinky finger.

"Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man it is," Ruby told her daughter. Alex jerked on Belle's hand until her mother abandoned her plate and silently gave into her request to dance.

It continued like that for another hour until Alex crawled into Belle's lap and rubbed her tired eyes. Katy finally turned around and faced the room about five songs in, her nerves forgotten in light of watching Amelia swoon like a school girl in love and Alex pull varying adults and Henry into the small free space to dance with her.

Ruby finally sat down to cold lasagna and gobbled three plates in under ten minutes. Belle rolled her eyes when she finally tossed the paper plate into the trash.

"I swear you'd weigh 300 pounds without me to guide your diet."

Ruby grinned, dug in the bag for the cookies and shoved one whole into her mouth. Belle huffed. "Not with this metabolism, Babe," Ruby mumbled around the half-masticated dessert.

Emma snorted, and Ruby tossed her a sugary disk. It smacked her chest because she couldn't see well enough to catch it, but nimble fingers snatched it up and shoved the entire thing in her mouth before Regina could stop her.

"Emma Swan," she berated with endeared frustration. She and Ruby were more work than the children at times.

"Mama," Alex said sleepily. "Gizmo wants to go to bed." Belle's eyes glazed with pure bliss as she stared down at her drowsy toddler.

"Should we go tuck him in?" Belle played along with the charade.

"Mmhmm. Wolf," Alex called, and Ruby appeared above her.

"Wolf has to stay here with Aunt Emma and Eva," Ruby explained to the little girl.

"To take care of them?" Alex searched for understanding. Wolf had never not been there to tuck her in except when that dog attacked her a few months ago.

"Yep. I'm a guard wolf tonight," Ruby joked and tickled the little girl.

"That's a good reason," Alex agreed and hugged Ruby tightly around the neck. "Love Wolf," she mumbled, losing her fight with sleep.

Ruby smiled, "Love Alex." Alex settled against Belle's chest. Ruby kissed her lover, despising the fact that they'd be parted for the night.

"Just until Emma gets better," Belle said, sensing Ruby's dilemma. "I'm moving back to the mansion tomorrow. We have plans to make," she added cryptically and then flicked her eyes to Alex and back up. Ruby almost broke down right there.

"Love you," she whispered and kissed her librarian again.

"Love you back," Belle murmured against her lips.

Snow relinquished Annabel to Regina and then kissed her granddaughter once more. David hugged Henry, which Snow turned into a three way embrace. "Love you, guys," Henry said up to his grandparents.

"Love you, too, Henry," Snow returned and kissed his hair. "Remember, you're coming home with me after school tomorrow."

"Can we go to the stables?" He spurted hopefully. David smiled and nodded. Henry pumped his fist as he broke free.

"Goodnight, Regina, Belle," Snow said. "Go on, David and I will clean up and drop the dishes at Granny's tomorrow." She waved off the mothers.

Regina smiled at her step-daughter/mother-in-law and kissed Emma lightly. "I'll be back tomorrow morning after I get Katy and Henry to school."

"I love you," Emma whispered and kissed her wife once more and then her daughter. "Henry, Katy, don't fight, Belle and Regina are outnumbered tonight." The teens nodded, but Henry stuck out his tongue at Katy who glared in return.

"Amelia, you coming?" Belle asked when she realized that the surgeon conversed quietly with Caleb. He was a really nice guy.

"I'm going to take a drive with Caleb. He'll bring me to the house later tonight. I have a key, so I'll try to be quiet." She glanced bashfully at the man. Caleb glanced right back and then stood and offered her his arm.

"Emma, don't give the nurses a hard time," Amelia ordered before following Belle and Regina out the door.

Ms. Cramer dismissed herself next, and Emma stared at her back as she walked away. She'd completely forgotten she'd been sitting there. Granny settled into the reclining chair and covered her legs with a scratchy white blanket.

When they were finally alone, Ruby slumped into the other reclining chair beside Emma's bed.

"Feel better?" She asked.

"I need another pill," Emma said sadly and pressed the call button. "Damn weak ass pain killers do next to nothing for my headache. I should be out there looking for Jason. I'm the only person who can cross the line. He's out there, and I can't even protect myself from him. How the hell am I supposed to protect my family?" Emma seethed and pressed her fingers into the skin around the gauze on her forehead. She was useless right now.

"But yes, thanks for playing," Emma said, much calmer now, "It was nice to see everyone thinking about something else for a while."

Ruby nodded and propped her arm behind her head.

"We'll make it through, Emma. We always do."

Silence fell over the room, and Ruby broke it with a sudden laugh. She met Emma's unfocused eyes and laughed again.

"You done lost your damn mind, Girl?" Granny sniped, sounding as though she might have been half asleep already.

"I never thought I'd see the day that Amelia went all gushy for a man," Ruby explained.

Lauren giggled and adjusted her head against Eva's shoulder. "He's a really nice guy from what I can tell. He's really good with elderly patients and children."

"Sounds like he has the patience of a saint. Should we be afraid that she's going to eat him alive?" Ruby presented to the smaller group who chuckled in response.

"Nah," Emma answered. "We've all seen that look. I think our little Amelia is falling in love."

Ruby hummed her agreement, genuinely pleased with the new development. "And our fucked up family grows."

Emma hummed and then fell silent. "You still with us Lauren?" She asked softly. No response. Their very own succubus felt the same exhaustion as her wounded lover. Poor Eva slept through most of the night's festivities, but Lauren's heart warmed to see the hint of several smiles as she listened to Ruby play and Alex sass people into dancing.

"What time does The Golden Girls come on?"

Ruby shrugged and settled deeper into the chair she found surprisingly comfortable. "Not for another hour, I think," she mumbled around a yawn.

"You're not going to make it another hour," Emma joked and called the nurse assigned to her.

* * *

Regina turned in her bed for the umpteenth time. Her hand reached for Emma's sorely absent heat usually pressed against her. She huffed in frustration and stacked Emma's pillows in a line and then wrapped her body around them, inhaling deeply the scent of vanilla and strawberries of Emma's shampoo. It soothed her for 30 seconds, long enough for her to relax.

Her mind immediately screamed that something wasn't right, and she told it to fuck off. Rolling onto her back, an exhausted hand brushed hair out of her eyes. The silky strands had grown so long. Regina almost felt the length too immature for her, but Emma loved it. She loved to brush it until it shined, and though she constantly observed Regina, she had become particularly enamored with anything relating to the long black tresses.

"Damn you, Emma Swan," she sniped at her absent wife. When had she become a woman who changed her appearance for another?

Her hand slapped Emma's pillow and pulled it over her face. She smothered herself with both hands and released a frustrated scream into the muffler, wiggling bodily to release more tension.

With a huff, she tossed the covers away, grabbed her robe, and trotted downstairs to the living room. Blue eyes connected with brown, and the women smirked at each other. Regina plopped onto the couch unceremoniously, and Belle raised an eyebrow in surprise. Regina must be incredibly frustrated if she flung her body around in a very Emma-like manner.

"Amelia is upstairs in my room. I expected you half an hour ago," she tossed out casually and moved the bowl of popcorn to her lap. "I'm halfway thru a disc."

"Thank the gods for Sophia," Regina praised her favorite character and crunched into the salty snack.

"You're such a Sophia," Belle jabbed and slouched further into the sofa.

"I suppose that makes you Blanche?"

"Mmm," Belle shook her head and swallowed. "I'm Rose. I'm very air headed in this world. I'm certain without Ruby's constant guidance, I'd have surely died using the bread crisper my first month as a free woman, and people generally have no idea what I'm saying. Ruby's Blanche. She's probably had the most sexual partners of all of us."

Regina chuckled and glanced over at the librarian intently watching the television. "Emma is certainly sarcastic enough to be Dorothy, and she wanted to be an English teacher when she went to college."

"You're really into the incest thing, aren't you?" Belle pointed out in that same detached, casual tone.

Regina choked on popcorn. Belle raised an eyebrow and watched the elder witch hack up the kernel of death. "Please do not speak of my family tree. It's very… bizarre."

Belle hummed and refocused her gaze on the television. "Emma is her own grandmother."

"Belle."

"Your step-daughter is also your mother-in-law."

"For the love of god," Regina exclaimed and dropped face into her hand.

"Emma is your granddaughter, which makes Henry your great-grandson."

Regina groaned. Belle giggled, "Had enough?"

"Yes!" The former queen hissed and glared at the smirking princess.

Belle sobered and averted her eyes back to the safety of the characters flashing across the screen. "At least your family loves you and isn't simply using you for selfish purposes."

"Belle," Regina started, but the librarian cut her off.

"We will be the golden girls in 30 years. We've already developed the habit of gathering in the kitchen… except we eat cookies instead of cheesecake."

Regina's face softened as she studied the tension in her friend's facial muscles. A blue glow danced and shimmered across her cheek and nose in the darkness.

"Bethany will come around, Bookworm," Regina pushed the conversation towards Belle's little sister.

"Can you teach me to make homemade brownies?" Belle asked suddenly, hopeful blue eyes pinning her to the spot.

Regina sighed and nodded. "Yes, Dear, I can teach you how to make brownies."

Every so often, a little girl shone in Belle's blue eyes. That child appeared more often with Granny, but occasionally, those innocent and naïve eyes looked up to her. This was one of those moments. Like all of them, she'd been forced to grow up too fast. She'd become mistress of her castle at the tender and difficult age of 11; Regina hadn't known that until Bethany wormed out of the woodwork.

"Good. Ruby enjoys them immensely," Belle avoided Regina's comment and sat the popcorn on the coffee table.

She scooted closer, legs curled beneath her, and leaned her head on Regina's shoulder. Regina rested her cheek on the crown of brown hair tickling her chin and sighed. In many ways, Belle was a child, or at the very least a much younger sister seeking guidance.

Regina crossed her arms and leaned more heavily into the younger woman. "I'm glad you're moving back to the mansion."

Belle smiled against her shoulder, coaxing one to her own lips. "I know it's only been a few weeks since I moved out, but I can't sleep anymore. I wasn't able to sleep beside her before I left, and now I can't sleep without her." Belle snorted and rubbed her eyes. She and Ruby might figure out their relationship one day.

"Why couldn't you sleep beside her?" Regina asked carefully. Prying information from Belle was a balancing act of useless frivolity and gentle nudging.

"It's difficult to sleep beside your lover when you're afraid that you'll wake up alone." Belle rolled her eyes upwards but just missed Regina's face. They fell naturally back to the T.V.

"Belle, I'm so…"

"We should do Sunday dinners every week," Belle blurted, interrupting the apology. "I've spoken to The Council, and they've agreed to begin hosting bimonthly dances again. We could make a whole evening of it."

Regina closed her eyes and gathered her patience. Would Belle ever forgive either of them for their behavior The Enchanted Forest? Their engagement had been completely destroyed, yet Belle remained loyal and loving and _in_ love. She wanted more children with Ruby but refused any discussion of marriage or further commitment.

The curiosity made a modicum of sense. She and Ruby created a beautiful partnership in parenthood, but Belle no longer trusted the wolf with her heart. She'd crushed it, and Belle closed it up and sewed the pieces together one tiny sliver at a time.

Feigning indifference to the obvious rejection, Regina nodded against her head. "I think it's a wonderful idea."

An answer never slipped through the darkness. Belle's mind trapped itself in the circular torture of love and betrayal she often associated with Regina and Ruby. If it had simply been sex, the situation became far less volatile and heartrending. She admitted guilt in shutting Ruby out as she dealt with her trauma, but Regina held a piece of her heart since Cora's death. What happened pertained very little to the strain in their relationship due to individual issues affecting the unit.

Regina and Ruby loved each other, and in the absence of herself and Emma, Belle felt certain they'd have fallen into a romantic relationship. They may not have been in love, but it would have been comfortable and functioned seamlessly.

Regina squirmed in the silence. "I don't have any skills."

"What?" Belle jerked from the racing thoughts and wrinkled her nose.

"For the youth center. Ruby is teaching guitar. You're teaching dance. Emma is leading the athletic activities three days a week, and Katy is leading the rest of the days. Archie is teaching parlor magic of this world and offering free counseling. Snow's teaching Archery. Stacy is teaching…"

"Alright, I get it," Belle stopped the rant before Regina had an anxiety attack.

"I have nothing to offer," Regina admitted sadly.

"You're a moron."

"Excuse me?" Regina pulled back and glared at the younger woman.

Belle rolled her eyes. "Do you know how many magical children in Storybrooke have non-magical parents or have been orphaned?"

"You want me to teach magic? I'm sure the general populace shall receive that news with open arms."

"Don't go a queenly on me. You're more liked than you think. Who better to teach those who might potentially hurt someone than a woman who understands the pull of magic better than anyone else in existence?"

Regina's heart spiked with excitement, and she clamped down on the excitement. Excitement led to hope which led to disappointment. "Do you really believe I'd be allowed?"

Belle nodded and pulled Regina into the cushions, repositioning her head against her shoulder. "It will cause a stir at first, but I think it's desperately needed as long as magic remains in Storybrooke."

Regina's mouth worked up and down, jaw muscle moving against the head beneath it. Belle pushed forward, saving her flabbergasted friend, "You love magic, Regina. Give it a chance. You might find something you've been looking for."

They fell into silence once more, content to allow the live television audience to fill the space.

Regina woke with a kink in her neck and frizzy hair in her mouth. She pulled at the hair and then sat up rubbing her neck. Belle stirred at the sudden movement. Regina glanced towards the foyer where the first rays of daylight were just reaching the hardwood floor.

Katy walked by the door with Annabel in her arms and backpedaled a moment later. "Hey, coffee and the kettle's on. Ruby called. Granny is opening the diner until she can get there. She wants Belle to get her stuff packed and come get her when she's ready to move."

She handed the hungry infant to her walking milk machine. "If you want to go check on Emma, Belle and I can get Henry to school. Jacob is picking me up at 7:15. He can ride with us."

Regina blinked, her mind absorbing the torrent of words more slowly than usual. "I thought the point of riding with Jacob was to avoid Henry."

Katy shrugged. "I'm going out back to practice sword sequences. Good morning, Belle," she greeted and then wandered back into the foyer.

"You and Ruby should have adopted her," Regina said suddenly, still processing everything the teenager just said.

"She's far too amiable in the morning," Regina grumped at Belle's confused expression.

Belle hummed as she stretched, spine popping as it realigned. "Go get dressed and feed Annabel. I'll have your tea ready when you return."

And she did. Regina could have kissed Belle French. While she had slept, it hadn't been restful at all, not without Emma. Belle's sagging shoulders spoke of the same exhaustion. Belle shoved a thermos into her hand and then shooed her out the door. Regina happily left her other children in Belle's capable hands and retreated to Emma's Camry with her youngest.

Ruby glanced up at her gratefully and relieved herself of Emma duty without words, stopping only to peck a kiss to Annabel's forehead. Regina sat the car seat on the wheeled table so Emma could see their daughter and raised an eyebrow.

"They won't give me coffee with my breakfast," Emma seethed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I have no sympathy," Regina deadpanned and dropped into the recliner.

"You're nursing our daughter. That's completely different. Amelia won't even let me get out of bed by myself," Emma whined, and Regina prepared herself for a full out temper tantrum one might have expected from Alex.

"No sympathy, Sheriff. Eat your eggs," Regina ordered in a voice that should have ended the conversation.

"They taste like cardboard," the squirming woman complained.

"Emma," Regina breathed and rubbed her forehead. It was going to be a long day.

Ruby practically ran from the hospital. Emma had complained most of the night and the entire morning since waking. She was the worst patient on the planet.

Ruby smiled at the familiar jingle of the little bell above the front door of the diner. Without checking in the kitchen, she immediately grabbed the light blue bus pan left beneath the counter and cleared several tables of dirty dishes. Breakfast rush was her favorite. The diner was full, but everyone remained quiet, almost solemn in their reverence for Granny's delicious food and strong coffee.

Folks enjoyed breakfast the most because they weren't focused on other people. Morning possessed the power to make even the most extroverted, like Leroy, into docile introverts. When they left, however, their personalities shone through the haze of sleep, and Ruby took pride in aiding that process.

The bell sounded, and Ruby smiled. "Be right with you," she called before ducking into the kitchen with her overflowing pan. She deposited the load, shook her head at Tinker Bell doctoring another burn on her hand, and kissed her Granny diligently turning out orders at the grill.

"Hi!" she greeted the man with soulful brown eyes and brown hair with grey streaks flowing through it. He was handsome and unfamiliar… and yet familiar.

"Hello Red," he greeted, and the wolf paused in surprise.

"Sorry, I don't normally forget a face. Have we met?" Ruby asked and leaned her weight on her forearms in front of the man. "And I go by Ruby now."

"A long time ago," he answered cryptically.

Ruby opened her mouth to respond, but Granny's cold voice shoved any words that may have surfaced back down her throat.

"Ruby, get away from him," she ordered, crossbow at the ready.

Yellow flashed in the man's eyes and Ruby jumped back, hips hitting the counter behind her. Another wolf?

"Hello Mama," the middle-aged man greeted. His voice dripped with sarcasm and danger, and Ruby pulled her own wolf to the surface, just in case.

"Mama?" Ruby glanced between the two. "So, you're like, my uncle?" She was so very confused.

"He's not your uncle, Ruby. No son of mine would act like him or I'd kill him myself. Now, get over here." Granny threatened the man, grip tightening on her favorite weapon.

"If he's not my uncle, then…" Ruby's heart dropped into her stomach, and she prayed that Granny shredded her theory.

"This is Jack," Granny said, resigning herself to the fact that this day had finally come. The bastard finally reared his evil head.

"He tried to kill you three days after you were born. He killed your grandfather when he refused to let Anita go with him after you were born. He blamed you for Anita leaving him, so he tried to get rid of you," Granny explained her connection to the man without actually explaining who he was.

"Oh come now, Mama. Let's not turn the girl against me from the start," Jack practically threatened Granny with his tone, and Ruby bristled.

"Who the hell are you?" Ruby demanded. This was her diner. That was her granny, and she drew the line. No one threatened Granny in her diner.

"I only thought she should know who you really are before you fill her head with flights of fancy and pretty words, like my Anita," Granny said, completely ignoring Ruby's question.

"Granny, please," Ruby begged. The elder Lucas glanced between Jack and her beloved granddaughter with a heavy heart. Ruby inherited his eyes. She sighed.

"Ruby, meet your father."


	9. Cracks

Alrighty, that answers that, My Sweets, no starting over. *wipes forehead* Good, because I'm loving pulling this story together as it is. You may resume your church mouse lives.

Warnings: sexual assault, gut wrenching feels

Songs: Tourniquet by Evanescence, Scars by Papa Roach

* * *

"Where is she?" Belle asked before the door to the diner closed.

Granny met her in the middle of the dining room and took Alex's hand. "Pantry."

"He's gone?" Belle asked with a glance to Alex. Granny nodded and touched her granddaughter's hair lovingly.

"Ruby threw him out. Literally. I don't think he'll be back today," Granny said, a slice of fear and hatred in her voice. Pride also lingered there. Pride that her granddaughter was stronger than her father physically and pride that she chose to protect her instead even though she learned of yet another lie she'd told in order to protect her.

Belle nodded and strode towards the kitchen. Tink bowed her head slightly and continued to control the crowd as best she could. Ruby Lucas hadn't lost her shit in a long time, and no one intended to leave until they figured out exactly why Granny pulled her crossbow out of retirement. Were they under attack again? That was the major question floating around the small crowd.

"Tink, run to the library and get Ruby's cape from the loft," Belle said in a soft voice with eyes that pleaded with the clumsy blonde. Tink nodded wordlessly and took the proffered keys.

Belle ignored the gaping crowd and followed the muttered curses and thump of metal. "Ruby?"

Another can flew from the pantry, freezing Belle in place. "Sweetheart?"

Silence stretched. She took a few steps towards the pantry door and peeked around the corner with a hefty amount of apprehension. Belle twitched in her cotton V-neck shirt at the mess Ruby wrought on the floor of the pantry.

"Ruby, Sweetheart, why are you tearing the pantry apart?" Belle asked gently and stepped inside.

"My entire life is a lie," Ruby growled and tossed another can to the floor. "Crap. This is all crap! Why do we serve crap? Outdated and over processed cans of shit. Why haven't we cleaned this out in forever?" Ruby yelled and swiped an entire shelf of cans onto the floor.

Belle jerked at the loud noise and angry energy. Her eyes closed, and she forced deep deliberate breaths into her lungs. Ruby would not harm her. She believed that with all of her heart, and she reminded her head of that fact over and over.

"Because you changed the menu and no longer use half of this stuff, Sweetheart," Belle answered, not really sure how else to approach the situation except follow Ruby's lead.

"That's right," Ruby whispered and dropped her head to her forearm, leaning heavily on the shelf.

"I'm never having children," Ruby said after a few minutes of silence. The conviction in her voice stabbed Belle in the heart.

"What?" Belle touched her shoulders lightly. "Ruby, talk to me, Baby."

"Wolves are monsters. All of us." Her voice was low and deep and dangerous. Belle fought the urge to step back.

"You're not a monster, Ruby."

"Yes, I am!" Ruby yelled as she slung a can into the freezer, leaving a huge dent in the metal door.

"I came from monsters. My mother abandoned me to protect me. My father killed my grandfather and abused my mother so badly that she became a murderer just like him. And Granny…" Ruby laughed deprecatingly. She was unhinged, and Belle prayed that Tink hurried with the cloak. It was the full moon, and Ruby stayed with Emma instead of running last night.

That's not mentioning, Ruby had been completely suppressing her wolf without the assistance of her cloak since the wedding. She was bound to explode eventually. It really wasn't healthy.

"Granny's the worst of them all," Ruby sneered. A calm moment surrounded them before the storm crashed into her haunted lover.

She whirled towards the freezer and punched it repeatedly with a desperate fervor, attempting to release the anguish inside. "Why does everyone lie to me!"

Bloody knuckle prints covered the dents in the door left by her aggression and strength.

"Ruby!" Belle jumped forward and grabbed her arm. "Stop, you're hurting yourself," Belle begged.

Ruby spun too quickly for Belle to react. A strong arm caught her ribs, and her back hit the freezer with enough force to knock the air from her lungs. Dents and ridges in the shape of her lover's hand cut into her back, and she winced and gasped.

"Then I'll hurt you," Ruby threatened coldly. Belle recovered instantly and studied her lover's eyes. They glowed bright yellow. She'd never seen them so bright before. There was nothing of her kind and gentle Ruby in those eyes.

"Ruby, stop," Belle whispered, hoping her soft voice broke through the haze.

Panic surged through her veins when Ruby pressed her body into Belle's. Strong hands gripped her upper arms, and Belle lashed out instinctively. She pushed Ruby back a step, but the wolf recovered faster than she moved.

"Ruby stop!" Belle yelled and pushed at her again.

The wolf grabbed her wrists and jerked her bodily before slamming her into the freezer again. "Ruby, please, I don't want this."

"Of course you do. That's what you fell in love with, right? What gets you off? The darkness, the danger. You felt it with Rumpel and you feel it with me." Ruby's voice was not her own. The wolf had completely taken over her human consciousness.

"Ruby, please," Belle begged, tears dripping onto her cheeks.

Arousal pooled between her legs, a physical reaction to Ruby pressed against her, the aggression. Ruby wasn't wrong, she liked it rough, but not like this. When their lovemaking became extreme, Belle controlled the situation. She was not in control, nor did Ruby appear to have any. Her body betrayed her, Belle realized when Ruby's nostrils flared.

The wolf caught the scent of her musky wetness and inhaled deeply. "Be careful what you wish for." She slammed Belle's wrists into the door above her head and held them there with one hand.

Belle squirmed and twisted, but Ruby was far too strong. "Stop! Ruby!" Terror filled her, and the instinct of self-preservation took over. Ruby intended to rape her, and a while a part of Belle's mind blacked out in blind panic, another part of her prayed that she stopped because the kindhearted lover she'd fallen in love with would never have recovered from this.

Ruby would be lost forever if she allowed this to happen.

Belle fought bodily against her lover. Knees hit flesh, hips and shoulders bucked against the cold door and the warm body holding her against it. The sound of fabric ripping and the sharp jerk against the back of her neck told Belle that Ruby had torn her shirt off, at least partially. Belle cried out, a half whimpering, half wailing sound.

"No, Ruby. I don't want this!" Belle yelled and struggled against the strong hands holding her in place. Ruby leaned in to kiss her, and Belle bashed her forehead into the wolf's mouth.

The violence only spurred the wolf forward. A strong hand grabbed her throat, squeezing the air from it instantly. Fingertips dug into her neck. The world in her vision darkened. Belle snapped. Blue eyes glazed with hysteria and memories. Magic crackled in her fingertips. Ruby tried to cover her mouth, prevent the incantation required by Earth Magic from being uttered.

She wasn't fast enough. It came out in a choking, rasping voice that sound more like a duck quacking than a human being, but the words achieved the desired effect.

She flew across the room and slammed into the shelf that she'd torn apart only minutes ago. Belle sprinted past the wolf towards the dining room. Ruby followed, the abrupt attack knocking some sense into her wolf.

"Belle, stop!" Ruby called at the pantry door. There were a bunch of people out there that Belle might harm.

Belle summoned a fireball, which she easily dodged. Distracted, Ruby fell easily into the trap Belle laid. An invisible force gripped her throat. Words flowed from Belle's mouth like a woman possessed. The librarian jerked her head, Ruby flew into the dining area and straight through a plate glass window.

Belle followed her. Some of the crowd parted, but a brave few stood in her way, blocking her exit.

"No!" Granny called from the door of the back room. "Get out of her way!"

Someone grabbed Belle's shoulders. She jabbed his nose with the heel of her hand, followed with a solid punch to the solar plexus, and smashed his face into her knee when he doubled over. She ducked the next person and swept her leg into her ankles, tripping her.

"Stop touching her! Let her go!" Granny yelled. Damn fools were going to get themselves killed.

Belle jerked at the sudden noise, not understanding the words. She whirled and pulled her dagger at the same time. It pressed against Granny's throat while the other hand caught a firm grip on the white bun at the back of her head and exposed her neck. Everyone froze.

"Mama?" Alex called from the doorway of the backroom. Belle froze along with everyone else.

"Alex?" She whispered, confused. "You got so big," the disoriented warrior commented stupidly, her words making sense to no one but her.

Belle shook her head. Granny pulled away slowly as lucidity filled her adopted daughter's eyes. Horror spread on Belle's scarred face as she stared at the knife still gripped tightly in her hand. Fingers loosened. Belle whimpered. The knife clattered to the floor.

She swallowed thickly and glanced around at the terrified faces of her people. One hand pulled at her torn shirt, covering her breasts with the flap of fabric. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Granny, I… Alex," she breathed and rushed towards the little girl. Her toddler screamed and ran into the back room. The fear in her daughter's eyes slammed into her gut like a club.

"Alex," she gasped. No air. The diner had been depleted of oxygen. Belle doubled over and tried to breathe. Why couldn't she breathe? Granny appeared at her side and touched her shoulder cautiously. Belle's anxiety calmed just enough to catch one deep breath.

"I've got her, Child," Granny said, letting her know with her words and tone that she'd already been forgiven. She nodded and pulled another huge gulp of fresh air into her lungs.

"Belle!" A distant voice yelled from outside. The door jingled, and a bloody Ruby rushed in. The librarian fell into a defensive stance, magic at the ready.

"Belle, I'm sorry!" Ruby rushed towards her.

Belle flinched, much like Alex had, despite the energy of the earth pulsing against her veins and begging to be loosed. Fear gripped her heart, and she struggled to maintain a connection with the earth. She wasn't a witch right now, or a warrior. She was a woman nearly raped by her partner.

"Stay the hell away from me," she threatened coldly.

Ruby stopped abruptly. "Belle, please. I'm sorry," she apologized through the tears gushing down her cheeks.

"Baby, I'm sorry. I'm me again. I'm so sorry." She took a step forward, hands reaching for her lover.

Belle disappeared in a swirl of yellow smoke.

Ruby hit her knees in the remainder of the mustard fog. "I'm sorry!" she screamed, voice a hollow, broken wail.

She looked up at Granny for guidance. "Granny, what have I done? Help me," she begged.

Granny swallowed. She'd seen the bruises on Belle's wrists, the ripped shirt, heard the pleas saying that she didn't want Ruby's rough touch. She'd been coming to Belle's aid when the librarian lost her grip on reality.

Granny touched Ruby's cut and bloody face. "I can't, Baby. I'm not sure this can be fixed."

"I can't lose her," Ruby whined and fell forward onto the flats of her arm. She covered her head with red, sticky hands and sobbed into the floor. Her ribs expanded and released rapidly with each tortured wail.

"Out, everyone, now," Granny said quietly. It was more forceful than a yell in that moment. The small group moved collectively and left the Lucas women to their anguish.

Once the last person departed, Granny spoke again. "You were never a monster, Ruby, not until today."

It damn near killed her, but Granny walked away from her broken granddaughter. Alex needed her more. Belle needed her more. Ruby made her own mistakes, and now the consequences were greater than she was willing to pay. She'd just destroyed her family.

That was the position Regina found her in when she arrived 20 minutes later. Granny called her in a frantic rush but gave her no details beyond Ruby needed her at the diner and that she'd taken Alex to the river for a walk to feed the ducks.

"Ruby!" She rushed to her loyal wolf's side and dropped to her knees, but Ruby never even acknowledged her presence. She just sobbed into the floor, trembling hands wrapped over her head.

"Ruby, it's Regina," the witch said softly and touched her shoulders. Ruby flinched at the contact but allowed it.

"I screwed up… real bad," Ruby forced around heaving sobs.

Regina rubbed between her shoulder blades with a soft hand and waited. Her throat worked against her own tears at the anguish practically rolling off the younger woman. Regina's legs tingled from lack of blood flow before Ruby pulled herself upright and wiped her face.

"I tried to rape Belle," she confessed without preamble.

"What?" Regina hoped like hell that she'd misunderstood the deep, solemn rumble of her friend's tear-strained voice.

"I lost control of my wolf," Ruby continued as though Regina wasn't there. "No, that's not it." Ruby wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and stared blankly at the floor.

"I was the wolf. I was the wolf in human form. I was… I couldn't stop," Ruby whined, chin dropping to her chest as fresh tears fell. ""She said no and I couldn't stop."

Regina simply stared, too shocked to say or do anything more than watch her friend cry and crumble to pieces in front of her.

"Granny said …I'm a… " Ruby gasped, chest hiccupping for air. "I'm a monster. Wolves can't be good. My father…"

Regina snapped to reality. She wrapped Ruby in strong, confident arms and planted a kiss on her head. "You're not a monster, Ruby. We can't always control what's inside of us. You should have been taught from the first moon you started exhibiting signs of your wolf."

Ruby sobbed harder and leaned into her friend's chest. Regina swallowed her tears. She understood better than any what it felt like to possess an uncontrollable darkness. Belle was right, the children of Storybrooke needed her, Ruby included. She wasn't a heroine or the owner of this diner or a mother or a lover in this moment. She was a wounded child trying to understand why she felt the way she did.

"Ruby, I can't condone what you allowed to happen. There's always a choice, believe me when I say that I know from personal experience, but you're not a monster."

"Don't leave me, Regina. Granny hates me. I lost her. I lost Belle. I can't fix this. Please, I can't lose you or Emma or the kids." Ruby begged, uncaring how weak she sounded. Without her family, she had no reason to live.

"I'm not going anywhere, Darling," Regina assured her and then gritted her teeth for the next part. "I'm not going to abandon you, Ruby, but you can't stay at the house unless Belle stays at the library."

Regina's heart clenched when Ruby nodded against her chest. "I know. Whatever she wants is what I'll do."

The door jingled, pulling Regina's focus. Tinker Bell stood awkwardly by the door with Ruby's hood clutched in her hands.

"I'm sorry to interrupt. I saw every leave, so I thought I should wait. If…" Tink fidgeted nervously when Ruby met her gaze. Fear shone brightly in her eyes.

"If you want to take Ruby home, I'll clean and lock up," she offered.

Regina nodded and then set her eyes on Ruby's as they lowered back to the floor and away from her endearingly clumsy and accident prone employee. "Do you want to go back to the mansion?" Ruby nodded.

"Thank you, Tink," Regina said graciously and stood. Tink met her halfway across the room and extended the cloak and keys, not willing to go any nearer to the wolf.

"Also, please call Marco and ask him to come fix the window or at least cover it with boards until Ruby can fix it."

The former fairy nodded and rounded the counter. Regina adjusted Ruby's cape over her shoulders and poofed to the mansion. Ruby landed on a sofa in a sitting position while Regina stood beside her.

"Take your shirt off. I'll go get the first aid kit."

Ruby sat numbly for a moment until Regina's words registered in her grief-hazed mind. She pushed the cloak from her shoulders with bloody hands and then raised her shirt over head and dropped it to the floor. Regina suddenly reappeared with a bowl of water with a wash cloth in it and the plastic case containing medical supplies.

Regina sat on the coffee table in front of her loyal wolf and wrung out the rag. "I don't think any of these need stitches," Regina commented for lack of anything else to say. What could she have said that would have made any of this better?

"They'll heal if they do, just cover them," Ruby responded, sounding as numb as she felt.

Regina worked quickly, anxious to return to Emma, hoping like hell that Belle went to her. She glanced at Ruby's lifeless eyes as she wiped blood from her face and chest.

"You mentioned your father," Regina started. "What did you mean?"

"He's alive," Ruby answered numbly. Regina's brow furrowed as the wolf failed to register the pain of her digging out a piece of glass from her stomach with a pair of tweezers.

"Granny lied to me again. My mother lied to me, too. She said he'd been killed by hunters. Granny said that he killed my grandfather and abused Anita, that he was evil to the core. Should I believe her, Regina?" Ruby suddenly became lucid and met her eyes. She really wanted to know.

"I think if Granny thinks he is evil, there is good reason. If you recall, she never truly believed me to be unredeemable," Regina answered in a neutral voice.

As much as she wanted to hide Ruby away from her father, her brave and broken wolf held the responsibility of making that decision all on her own. She'd picked up the pieces afterwards if necessary. Ruby's eyes sprinted into the distance, too far to be reached.

"When I Rumpelstiltskin confirm that Zelena was my sister, I felt similarly. It's easy to believe that you're destined to be evil when everyone else in your family has become what you fear you recognize in yourself." Regina tucked red hair matted with blood behind her friend's ear.

"Good and Evil are not definitive attributes, Ruby. Their not attributes at all. It's a choice, and you, my sweet wolf, are not evil. The choice you made today was evil, yes. Neither of us will deny that, but that was one choice. It may take years of restitution, but it can be fixed."

Ruby dropped her head into her hands and cried softly. They were tortured tears, but they also held a glimmer of hopefulness. Regina finally broke down the last battlement in her friend's emotional wall.

"I'm sorry," Ruby whispered.

Regina held the back of her head and touched her forehead to the brown and red crown of the remorseful wolf. "I know, Sweetheart. Belle knows that, too. She's scared and hurt, and if this had been the only misdeed on her mind, I believe she'd be here right now tending your wounds instead of me."

Ruby nodded. "She doesn't trust me. She loves me more than anything, but she can't trust me, especially not now. I was so close to fixing everything. She was getting better. We were getting better."

Regina kissed her head and waited. When no other words came for a few minutes, she spoke, "She's trying, Wolf Pup. Belle has the biggest capacity for forgiveness than any I've ever seen..

"Even the most forgiving people have a limit. I keep screwing up, Mama Bear. How much more will she have to forgive me for? How long until she breaks?" Ruby asked, genuinely searching for answers that Regina couldn't give.

She clutch the fabric at Regina's waist and sobbed again, leaning heavily on the older woman and trusting her to keep them upright. "We all have our burdens to bear, Darling. I have to live with a magic so powerful that I get migraines if I don't use it everyday. Emma is too brave, too valiant in her quest to help others, and she may suffer permanent brain damage because of it. It could kill her. Belle gets hurt over and over because she forgives too easily, which makes her fragile and insecure despite her abundance of independence and skill as a witch and warrior."

Regina pushed her back gently and cupped her scratched cheeks, forcing watery brown eyes to her own. "Your burden is your emotion. Everything you do is based on emotion. It's what drives you, and sometimes your pain drives you to make terrible decisions. It only strengthens my belief that Belle is your soul mate because no one without her capacity for forgiveness could love you that way you deserve to be loved."

Ruby's eyes softened. Whether she believed Regina because she saw the merit in her words or because she simply needed something to cling to, Regina figured she'd never know.

Regina's phone buzzing broke the moment. Her shoulders drooped, and she reluctantly released the wolf to answer it. Emma's name appeared on the screen, squashing her irritation.

"Hello Darling," she greeted, sounding as exhausted as she felt.

"Hey," Emma clipped. Regina stiffened. Something was wrong, she felt it tickle the back of her neck. "Is Ruby okay?"

"She will be," Regina answered, not sure if Ruby was actually okay or not.

"Good. That's good. I need you to come back to the hospital," Emma said with a quiver in her voice.

Ruby perked, but Regina waved her hand. "Ruby, go upstairs and lay down. You hadn't much sleep last night, and you are far too compromised to be around people right now."

Ruby opened her mouth to protest, closed it at Regina's stern look, and nodded. Regina was right. She pushed off the sofa and trudged towards the stairs without waiting for the end for the conversation.

"Darling, what's happened?" She asked her wife, not sure she wanted to know.

"Whale's back."


	10. Soon

Because... I'm awful and may not post for a couple of days.

Enjoy Lovelies!

* * *

_I could not have planned it better. _

_Granted, my hand had been forced with this particular event, but no matter. The librarian stands on the verge of collapse. One tiny push completed her destruction. She was the easiest, the weakest link, and the obliteration of her soul weakened the other three. The incident with her wolf sent her running for the hills. _

_It's been two days. Two days of agony for her lover. Two days of solitude, away from her child, away from her friends and family. _

_It was perfect, really. _

"_Thank you, Red," I whisper as I study the flyer hastily slopped together but effective. It never took much to rile the rabble. _

_When Storybrooke awoke, they all learned the truth about their beloved heroines. A dark chuckle vibrated against my throat and I almost gagged, so unfamiliar with the sensation was I. By sundown tomorrow, one of the heroines will have fallen. _

_Revenge feels wonderful._

_The little nurse needn't be bothered. She destroyed herself, weakened her powers and physical strength to care for her lover, to prevent more anguish. The good doctor cried so hard when her position of authority was ripped from beneath her. Poor Regina looked positively mortified at the new development. She hurt even more when she realized that she wasn't able to comfort her favorite general surgeon. Even without the burns, Eva tolerated the touch of very few. Lauren was one, and Marion was the other. She died protecting the bane of Storybrooke's existence, Prince Charming. _

_Another giggle escapes. Oh the poor savior. So many delicious goodies to play with when it came to her. So many mind games. So many players from her past she'd forgotten existed. So many she loved who broke her heart, so many broken hearts in her wake. She'll get her due punishment in time. _

_It makes me grateful that I care for no one in this world. I never have, except for the man she took from me. Evil bitch needs to learn her lesson. _

_She will. She will know that all actions have consequences and watch her friends burn for her sins._

_Pun completely intended, Dr. Zambrano. You were supposed to die, but it seems my little assistant can do nothing right. She should have accounted for distractions, timed the explosion better. If she wasn't so easily manipulated, I might actually have to kill her, too. Fortunately, like our targets, she seems to sacrifice everything in the pursuit of love… well, sex anyway. _

_She wants so desperately to be a part of something, to live a remarkable life, and her loyalty lies with me despite the magnetic pull towards the unlikely family offering her sanctuary. She understands the importance of my mission, though believing that I am ridding the world of the evil of magic makes that easier. Stupid, stupid lonely girl. _

_My face twitches with satisfaction, and I staple another poster. The entire main strip of town was covered with them, from the library to town hall. She smiles at me from across the street, and I turn my back._

_I'll fuck her tonight, I think. Such an obedient whore. She makes me sick, but she's useful. She's broken enough to win over the bleeding hearts of our heroines and damaged enough to believe that I love her. A giddiness I haven't felt since I was a child flutters in my chest at the thought of someone so close to them betraying them in such a way. _

_Bless that day I stumbled upon her sobbing on a snow covered bench in the park this winter after the battle with Zelena. She was the perfect little soldier needed for this mission. She infiltrated them so easily, so naturally. It was beautiful. As she is beautiful. I almost wish I had the ability to love. I might have loved her, but I'll take her fealty of mind and supplication of body. _

_Without her, I'd still be floundering for a plan._

_Now, I have the librarian on the emotional ropes and going for the kill. Now, I have the wolf with her hands tied, revealing just how dangerous she truly is. Now, I know the savior's weakness. Poor little Emma with a brain of mush. _

_Soon. _

_Soon, the savior will get hers, but first, this opportunity is not to be flung to the wind. _

_They were easy to damage. The queen, however, is proving most difficult. She has no weaknesses aside from her children, and they are protected night and day. She has won the forgiveness and respect of her people. Her magic is impeccably controlled and steady._

_Perhaps our darling queen shall crumble when her savior loses everything that makes her human. Will she forget everyone? Perhaps she'll lose her empathy. A savior without the ability to empathize, no better than the company of serial killers she keeps. Will she lose her motor functions and require constant care and supervision for the rest of her life?_

_A fluttering giggle bubbles in my throat and escapes. The brain is so delicate. The possibilities are endless. Also, death is good, too. _

_Soon. _

_I'll bring them all to their knees one by one and watch their horrified faces when I tell them why. Why they had to die. Why their children had to die. Why they had to be ripped apart and punished before I finished them. Even as a child, the she-devil tore people asunder and left them broken. That's why no one could love her for the longest time. _

_She should have paid for her crimes. It might have saved my soul. _

_Soon. _


	11. Delusion

Because I'm sadistic…

My music was all over the place for this chapter, so I've listed a few character choices instead of chapter choices. Pick and choose as you see fit.

Songs: Come on Get Higher by Matt Nathanson (Emma & Regina), Hunger by Amaranthe (Emma), I Will Not Bow by Breaking Benjamin (Regina, Ruby), Dance with the Devil by Breaking Benjamin (Emma)

* * *

Emma wandered thru her dark house. Everyone else slept peacefully… or slept anyway, but her mind refused to shut down and let her fall into the oblivious respite of unconsciousness.

Three days.

Amelia kept her from chasing that bastard for three days. How could she sleep when she knew he was here? Saw how angry he'd been? He meant to destroy her family, she knew it. He'd started on the outside and worked his way in, which made her wonder if Belle or Ruby was next.

Would he go straight for her children? Regina?

She sighed and poured a cup of coffee as soon as the pot spurted enough to fill it. It was thick and bitter on her tongue, but her weary body refused to move from the stool to sweeten the caffeinated beverage. She only wanted to stay awake anyway. This was a means to an end, not something to be enjoyed.

How had their lives become so screwed up?

She cradled her head in a hand and stared into her coffee. She didn't find any answers, nor did the black liquid offer any solace. It only presented more questions. She scratched at the gauze on her forehead gingerly, and sighed deeply.

What was Bethany hiding? What the hell happened to her to make her so angry at Belle?

Why was Jason here? How had she missed the fact that he was unhinged? How had an entire police force missed it? Was he here just to be creepy or was he the force orchestrating the guerilla attacks on her family?

Ruby's father returned and destroyed the tenuous control Ruby exhibited over her wolf. Belle holed away in their cabin in the woods. She had yet to tell Regina and Ruby that the librarian came to the hospital that day and retrieved her keys to the cabin. Belle wanted to be alone, to sort through what happened on her own terms, and Emma protected her location in order to give her time to do that properly.

Why the hell wasn't her natural lie detector working? What the hell was wrong with her?

The only person outside of her family who definitely told the truth was Rumpelstiltskin, but now he knew that someone targeted them again. It was a necessary evil to inform him in order to ascertain his involvement, but as long as Ruby possessed his dagger, his lips remained dormant on the subject.

She squeezed her eyes shut, but the throb behind them only grew. She really needed to stop getting knocked out. Amelia said there was a lot of scar tissue beneath the surface and on her brain, probably from Neverland when Rumpel bashed her into a tree. She probably would have died from the slow leak inside her skull if Regina hadn't given her Ruby's magical wolf healing elixir.

Was Jason the culprit? Her mind jumped back and forth between thoughts, and she rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands.

Why the hell couldn't she focus on one thought at a time?

Maybe they were being paranoid and self-involved. Amelia admitted that she believed initially that she'd made an honest mistake until Eva's attack. Perhaps Eva's past reared its ugly head. Who had she wrong? Her ability to encase others in fear scapes certainly had the potential of creating more than a few enemies. Perhaps all of the events of the past week were entirely unrelated, pure coincidence.

She snorted. That was far too much coincidence, even for fairy tale characters.

The hair on the back of her neck prickled uncomfortably, and Emma glanced behind her, nearly toppling off the stool in her haste. She found nothing but the coffee pot. Her stomach roiled and knotted with tension and the sudden spatial disorientation blotted her vision with black dots. The feeling of dread swelled. Adrenaline spiked her heart into a painfully frantic race of a thousand stomping feet.

She dropped to the floor and pressed her back into the corner of the cabinets. From this position, she viewed all three entrances to the kitchen, and the island offered her cover if an attack should come from any direction.

Her chest constricted painfully, and she fought valiantly through the panic. She was having an anxiety attack. Her mind acknowledged her body's reaction to the stress of her situation, but it refused to calm no matter how many deep breaths she took.

"Em?" The raspy, sleep-filled voice of her wife called from the door leading to the foyer.

"Regina, get down!" Emma ordered in a harsh whisper. Regina dropped her knee instantly, believing Emma to be under an attack of some sort. How was she to know it was inside her wife's mind.

"What? What is it?" She asked as she crawled across the kitchen floor and pressed her back into the cabinets beside Emma.

The tingle of Dark Magic brushed across Emma's cheek, comforting her. She relaxed almost completely when the heat of Regina's fireball touched her shoulder. Regina glanced around anxiously, but no threat revealed itself. What the hell had Emma so spooked?

"He's watching me, Regina. I felt it," Emma whispered.

Regina extinguished her fireball and studied her distraught partner. Ghostly blanched cheeks, a clammy sheen of sweat covered her shivering body. Her hands quaked violently. Chest heaved with the effort of catching her breath. Wild, irrational terror omitted from shining eyes. Black dilated pupils swallowed up the emerald.

"Oh Emma," Regina breathed and touched her cheek. "Darling, you're okay." She spun on the floor so that she faced Emma and sat cross-legged as she gently pressed both hands to her panicking wife's face.

"Em, look at me," she coaxed. Emma listened, and a flood of relief rushed into Regina's chest, loosening the knot of tension. Emma heard her. She wasn't too far gone to calm.

"You're perfectly safe, My Darling," Regina whispered and brushed damp and tangled yellow hair from her face.

"There's no one watching you, Emma. Do you hear me?" Emma nodded. "Do you trust me?" Emma nodded, face scrunching with the effort of deciphering reality from fantasy.

"Then believe me when I assure you that you are not in any sort of danger. Do you feel safe here in the kitchen?" Emma nodded again.

"Alright, Darling. Stay here a moment. I'm going to get a blanket and a pillow from the living room. Won't be gone a minute. We'll stay here tonight." Regina smiled when a rim of green grew around the black of Emma's eyes.

"You won't leave me here?" Emma asked in a voice much too young and terrified for the strong, resilient woman she married.

Regina brow furrowed in concern. "Of course not, Emma. I'll be back in a moment."

She raised both of Emma's hands to her mouth and pressed a tender, lingering kiss to them before standing. Emma immediately shook as the fear gripped her heart once more. She calmed moderately when she reminded herself that Regina wasn't abandoning her to suffer this alone.

"Regina," she called softly and the older woman whirled at the end other end of the island, ready and willing to fulfill her every need.

"Thank you."

Regina smiled again and bowed her head slightly. "Always, my Dar…"

A crack and whistle interrupted her response. Her head jerked back. Blood spattered the doorway and foyer floor. The sound of Regina's body hitting the floor made Emma jump. What the hell just happened?

Emma surged forward. "Regina?" Her feet peeped around the island but the structure obscured the rest of her body.

"Regina?" Emma called again and forced herself to take a step on numb legs.

A pool of red spread slowly on the floor, and Emma followed it with her eyes. It came from Regina's head. Had she busted it when she fell? "Regina, are you okay?"

Brown eyes stared at the ceiling, but they never moved towards her. Those soft hands twitched on the floor, clenching as releasing like Regina controlled her pain. "Babe?"

Regina's arm jerked, leaving a red streak across the white tile. Emma dropped to her knees and took her hand. "Hey, oh god, that's a lot of blood. Regina, can you hear me?"

Emma studied her eyes and tried to soothe the twitching hand in both of hers. A part of her knew why Regina wasn't responding. Panic reignited. Her eyes focused on the blood weeping from the round wound on her forehead.

"Regina, get up," she whispered and jerked on her hand. Regina moved under the force of her hand but remained otherwise still.

"Regina, we have to go check on Annabel and Henry," Emma tried again.

"Regina!" Emma grabbed her shoulders, knees sliding in the hot liquid seeping across the cold tile.

"Regina, get up!" Emma shook her shoulders violently.

She straddled Regina's waist and stared into her glassy eyes. She held chin with one hand and slapped gently at her wife's cheek with the other. "Regina, it's time to get up. You're scaring me." Emma confessed, voice quivering as a sliver of reality invaded the fantasy that her wife would ever stand again.

"Regina!" Emma grabbed her cheeks with both hands and shook her again. "Get up!"

Amelia and Ruby suddenly appeared on either side and grabbed her arms. "No!" She screamed and pin wheeled her arms away from their grasp.

"Emma, stop!" Ruby ordered.

"No! She has to get up, Ruby! Make her get up," Emma pleaded with her friend as she jerked on Regina's shoulders.

"Get up!" Amelia and Ruby grabbed her hands again.

Emma broke free from the surgeon with a jerk and loosed her fist into Ruby's face. The wolf fell back and tumbled out of sight. How had she disappeared in the kitchen floor?

Emma didn't care. She clutched Regina's pajama shirt in both hands and pulled her wife into a sitting position. "Get up, Baby. Please, get up." She begged.

Regina's head lulled between her shoulder blades, arms limp at her side. "Get up, Regina!"

"Emma," the raspy voice of her wife whispered, but her mouth hadn't moved. It was in her head.

"No, no, no, no. I can't do this again, Regina! I can't hear you everywhere I go unless you're there!" She dropped Regina body, and it slumped to the floor, limp and lifeless.

"Stop!" She screamed, voice shrill and hollow at the same time. Bloody hands pressed into her temples. "Stop! Stop!"

"Emma," the distant voice repeated.

Amelia grabbed her again. Ruby reappeared.

"Stop! I made a blood oath," she murmured nonsensically and rocked back and forth on Regina's hips.

"Take me, too!" She yelled at no one.

"No, Ruby, stop!" She demanded as the wolf wrapped her arms around her, trapping Emma's arms against her body.

"I made an oath! I'm supposed to die, too!" She thrashed and fought and struggled in vain against the wolf's hold.

"I can't do this! I can't spend the rest of my life hearing her!" She jerked again and then collapsed against Ruby's chest in a heap of sobbing savior.

"I can hear her," Emma wailed into her friend's chest.

"She's still in here. She's in my mind. I can hear her. Please, take me, too. Please. Please kill me." She begged of anyone who might listen.

"I heard her before and it drove me insane. I made an oath," Emma babbled.

"I made an oath!"

She screamed, a bloodcurdling, fear-evoking, haunting, hollow wail of an inhuman sound that ensured that none of them slept soundly for at least a month.

"Emma, you're having a nightmare," Regina's voice told her in a soothing tone that sounded much closer than the haunting whispers of before.

Emma blinked several times and glanced around at the sudden darkness of the room. Her bedroom? She still straddled Regina's hips and Ruby still held her tightly, but the cold tile transformed into a firm bed. The hot blood on her knees became Regina's hands.

Regina's hands. She followed one of the arms attached to those soft hands with her eyes, stopping for a moment to study the heaving and very familiar chest. Parted, flesh-toned lips supplied the air that moved the chest. Shimmering, petrified brown eyes flicked back and forth, searching her own.

"Regina?" She whined and struggled against Ruby's hold. The wolf released her this time, and Emma fell into Regina's shoulder, sobbing once more.

"It was a dream," a broken child-like voice murmured from beneath Regina's long black hair.

"It was a dream, Darling," Regina confirmed. She nodded to Amelia and Ruby, letting her know that she felt comfortable being left alone with Emma in this state.

Amelia slid from the bed, and everyone froze when a lightening fast strike snatched her arm. "Please stay," Emma implored and glanced between her two friends.

Amelia nodded and climbed over Regina's legs. She guided Emma to the bed and spooned the shaken savior. Whatever she'd seen during her night terror shot fear straight to the core of her being. Emma wasn't a savior or a sheriff or a powerful witch in that moment. She was a woman who had been abused by a former lover and made to fear for her safety and the safety of her family.

"Ruby?"

"Yeah, Ems," the wolf answered.

"Will you check on the kids and make sure the doors and windows are all locked?" Emma's voice was so small, so scared, so unlike Emma. Ruby gritted her teeth against the tears burning the back of her throat.

"Yeah, I'll be back in a couple minutes," Ruby agreed easily. She knew the doors and windows were locked, but she gratefully accepted the chance to remove herself from the situation for a few minutes.

Emma's body quivered. Regina lay on her back and pulled Emma's head to her chest. Her neck and shoulders hurt from being bodily shaken from her sleep by Emma. Her wife clearly had no clue that she'd acted out her dream in real life. She'd done it a few times before but mostly during sex dreams, and she always woke up before she crossed a physical line.

This was different. Emma wasn't completely asleep, but she wasn't awake. Her eyes had been wide open but unseeing. It was terrifying. Regina felt ashamed of the slice of fear in her heart directed towards her wife.

Amelia wrapped her arm around Emma in the new position, hand resting on Regina's stomach. Propriety and awkwardness had no room in their lives in this moment. Emma needed to be surrounded by them, literally. She'd asked for it. That request in and of itself spoke of the depth of Emma's fear right now as if the night terror wasn't enough.

"Hey, it's just me," Ruby announced as she returned. "Everything is locked up tight. Henry was awake, so I sent him to Katy's hermit cave to stay the rest of the night just in case you have another dream."

The wolf slipped into the bed behind the doctor and wrapped her arm around Amelia. Gingerly, she placed her hand on Emma's ribs, and the blonde flinched but stayed still. She knew it was Ruby.

"I love you," Emma whispered without specifying exactly to whom she spoke.

"We love you, too, Emma. We've got you," Amelia answered for all of them.

Regina absently dropped soft kisses to Emma's hair, careful not to bump the sore spots. Surrounded by the warmth and love of her friends and wife, Emma nodded off within a few minutes while the other three lay perfectly still.

"What the hell just happened?" Ruby blurted into the darkness.

"It's called a sleep terror," Amelia whispered. "Emma's was probably caused by her severe head injury combined with the stress. It has less to do with emotional trauma than external or environmental conditions. It was probably triggered by her brain unable to process the fact that she's sleeping in a different room than the brightly lit hospital due to the injury.

"They generally occur in the first half of sleep, so while we may only get an hour or two after that, Emma will probably sleep soundly for the rest of the night, which can only help prevent this from happening again.

"It's possible that she was completely unaware of asking me to stay. She may not have even been awake. If I had to add my professional opinion, Emma probably won't remember any of this in the morning. It's quite common. People wake up in strange places, miles from their homes with no knowledge of how they came to be there. Drive safely for miles. Operate heavy machinery. Cook complete meals."

"Amelia, you're babbling, and you completely lost me after sleep terror," Ruby groused and rolled away from the doctor now that Emma had settled.

"She scared me. I talk too much when I'm scared," she admitted quietly. "It's not always a blessing to understand what's happening."

Ruby scooted closer, pressing her shoulder into Amelia's back. "It's okay. I think she got to all of us," Ruby comforted the doctor, wishing to be anywhere but there at the moment, except maybe in Emma's dream.

When Regina's hand covered Amelia's on the elder sorceress' belly, the doctor met brown eyes over Emma's head. "Are you okay, Regina?"

"I think I have whiplash, but yes," Regina answered numbly. "Can we please just try and sleep?"

"We should take her for a scan tomorrow," Amelia tossed out as casually as possible. Regina huffed a sigh and gritted her teeth.

"Look, I know you don't like Whale. You guys have history, but we need to go see Eva and Lauren anyway. Eva is really upset that The Council gave Whale her position. I need to be there for her." Amelia's voice held no room for argument, not that they'd have protested her point anyway.

Ruby yawned, "We all do."

Regina opened her eyes and took a deep breath. " Yes, she has a long and painful recovery. We will support as much as we can emotionally. Right now, however, I love you both, but if you do not stop yapping, I will teleport you above the harbor and drop you into it. Shut up or get out," she threatened, her tone telling her friends that she meant every single word.

Eventually, Amelia and Ruby slipped into the blissfulness of sleep, and Regina lay perfectly still listening to three sets of deep breaths fill the room. Silent tears finally slipped onto her cheeks and trickled towards her ears. She brushed at them gently with one hand and tighter her grip around Emma's shoulders.

"Please," she prayed to anyone listening. "Please."

_Please let her brain heal. I can't fix this. No one can. _"Please."

They all woke a few hours later when the sheriff's phone rang the classic bell jingle. Regina jerked, dozing between sleep and wakefulness. Emma groaned and reached across Regina. A weight against her back shot tendrils of fear into her heart and awakened her mind like a zap of magic to the ass. She twisted at the waist, spine popping and snapping with the quick realignment.

Her brow scrunched when she found Amelia and Ruby in the bed she shared with Regina. The thumping of her heart continued when Belle's name appeared on the caller id.

"Belle," she greeted, genuinely happy to hear her friend's voice.

"Emma, I need you to come to the library as soon as possible. Someone's… just come, please, Emma," the librarian begged, her voice strained as though she'd been awake all night or had recently been crying.

"What's wrong, Belle?" Ruby asked, her wolf ears catching every word of both sides of the conversation.

Emma repeated the question, but Belle disconnected the call without answering. Ruby jumped up and sprinted from the room, her intention of dressing and accompanying Emma clear.

"Hey, you okay to get the kids up and to school by yourself?" Emma asked, hovering over Regina's face.

Regina stared at her, slightly dumbfounded. Emma remembered nothing of her episode in the middle of the night. She touched Emma's face, traced the edges of the gauze that needed changed. "Of course, Darling. Amelia can make breakfast. Katy hasn't let Henry out of her sight since Emma's attack, so he'll ride to school with her."

"Okay," Emma said, stilled feeling guilty. Regina pulled her into a sweet, tender kiss that quickly grew in passion and decibel.

Amelia snickered, "This is as close to a threesome as I will ever get with you two."

Emma's shoulders collapse and her face found a hiding spot in Regina's neck. "You're incorrigible," she muttered, voice muffled by the luscious skin before her. She clamped down on the urge to kiss it, lick it, worship it.

Emma groaned. Amelia chuckled. "I'm up. I'm going. Coffee. Pancakes. That's the only thing I can make."

Emma waited until the door clicked shut before lifting her head. "Morning," she murmured and pressed her lips against Regina's.

"This hour barely constitutes morning. Despicable. At least the sun has begun to rise," Regina grouched and pushed herself up until she leaned against the headboard.

Emma nuzzled against her chest and wrapped her arm around Regina's waist. "Why were Ruby and Amelia in bed with us?"

Regina threaded fingers into tangled blonde hair. "You had a sleep terror, Darling. Amelia can offer better explanation, but briefly, your brain was unable to process something that turned into a nightmare, which apparently is actually very much like reality. You asked her to stay with you."

Emma traced thin scars on her wife's chest. "It was bad?"

"Very," Regina confirmed. She hummed when wet lips followed her wife's fingertips.

"Belle requires your assistance," Regina protested without any real conviction.

"Someone always requires my assistance," Emma tossed away carelessly and straddled her wife's voluptuous hips. Post-pregnant Regina body made her climb the walls and walk backwards on the ceiling. She may have thinned considerably since giving birth, but not even the powerful sorceress possessed the power to undo the widening of her hips.

"Right now, my wife requires a good fucking for putting up with my ass," Emma whispered into her ear and bit the lobe for emphasis.

A thump against the door drew their attention. "Ow, son of bitch! Let's go, Sheriff, before my wolf ears hear more than dirty talk."

Emma growled and dropped her head to Regina's chest. She hissed and scrambled upright, hand flying to her forehead.

"Are you alright?" Regina gushed and sat up with her.

Emma nodded and wrapped her arms around Regina's neck. Soft fingers played with the hem of Emma's tank top, tempting her to remain right there all day.

"Em, you should go check on Belle," Regina nudged, not really ready to release her wife into the world just yet.

"I know," Emma said as she hooked her chin over Regina's shoulder.

The hug lingered. Regina's hands found warm skin and hard muscles beneath the flimsy fabric of Emma's top. Emma hummed and rocked her hips into Regina's, heat spreading from the apex of her thighs into her chest.

Lips moved together slowly, and everything melted away. Emma raised her arms, golden hair bouncing as her tank pulled free. One arm wrapped around Regina's back and the other held her cheek and neck as her beautiful wife kissed across her collarbone. A warm hand slid up a flat stomach and covered a modest breast, grinning when the nipple grew into a hardened peak.

"Seriously, guys, stop," Ruby ordered and opened the door.

Emma rolled her eyes, head falling backwards in frustration. Regina almost used magic to fling the wolf down the hall but Annabel mewed into the monitor on the nightstand. She sighed and kissed Emma innocently on the throat.

"Later, Darling, I promise," Regina vowed, in need of Emma's touch as much as her wife clearly needed hers. Emma rarely chose the selfish path, and she sprinted towards self-fulfillment this morning rather than rush directly to her best friend's side.

"Emma," Ruby huffed and cocked her hip to the side, arms crossed. Emma's partial nudity hadn't fazed her one bit, nor had their compromising position.

"I'm coming," Emma grouched and rolled off her wife. "And not in the way I want to be," she reminded Ruby and disappeared into the bathroom.

By the time she dressed, Amelia had coffee waiting in thermoses for her and Ruby. Emma took a moment to sweeten hers before following Ruby to her cruiser. The wolf drummed the steering wheel impatiently, and Emma glared at her, unsure if bringing her along was the best idea. Belle disappeared for two days without contact in order to escape from her lover.

"I know she's been staying in the cabin," Ruby blurted. "I've been keeping an eye on her for the past two nights."

Emma choked on coffee and stared at the wolf's profile, waiting for two heads to grow. Ruby shrugged. "I was running, caught her scent in the woods, followed it to the cabin."

"Wait, Rubes, stop," Emma ordered, eyes focused on the streets. "What the hell?"

She jumped out of the car and strode to the window of Marco's shop. Her heart fell to the floor and flopped around, gasping for air. She jerked down a flyer and sprinted back to the car.

"Go, Ruby. Go now!" Emma yelled at her friend, not giving her time to glance at the piece of paper.

Tires squealed. "What the hell is that?"

"It's a homemade poster," Emma said and pulled her gun, checking the clip and chamber before flicking the safety off. As she checked her weapon, she explained the situation by describing the paper. Belle hadn't needed her emotional support. She needed their protection.

"It has a picture of Belle using magic and reads: Ask me why I destroyed Breck."


	12. Moments

My Doves, this chapter happens very quickly. It's meant to. And it broke my heart.

Enjoy!

Songs: Riot by Three Days Grace, Bad Reputation by Joan Jett, It's Not my Time by 3 Doors Down

* * *

When a person broke her life into moments, the truly important things and lessons in that life became glaringly obvious.

The sudden startle that the power of loud thunder inspired humbled her in the face of a force much more powerful and uncontrollable. She was not immortal or invincible.

The intense fear and awe of holding her child for the first time ensured that she did everything in her power to protect her guide that child. Every choice she made was under constant scrutiny because children learned from observing, not lectures. She became self-aware.

The moment when she realized that she loved another enough to put them first told her that her capacity for love surpassed what it should have been capable of as a biological being, genetically hardwired for self-preservation. She was human, she had a soul.

And the moment Ruby saw Belle surrounded by a mob of angry civilians relentlessly punching and kicking and yelling at the placid librarian who refused to fight back, she knew in her heart even if it was never spoken that she'd kill innocent people in order to protect her soul mate. She was human, not just a wolf or a hero or a mother or a child. Those were titles and roles she played, but she was human first, fallible and searching for higher understanding with each mistake.

Ruby pushed harder on the accelerator and hit the lights and sirens. Emma gripped her gun tightly in one hand and covered an ear with the other. The instantaneous pain in her head caused by the noise reminded her that she was not prepared for duty yet.

The car bounced and banged when Ruby pulled onto the sidewalk by the library, parting the crowd that had gathered. She drove as close as she dared to Belle and jumped from the car.

"Back the hell up!" Emma yelled and held her weapon at the ready. Ruby growled on the other side of the car, and Emma relaxed slightly, knowing the wolf protected her back.

"Emma," a weak accented voice called to her.

Emma's anger flared, but she remained rooted to her spot beside the car when a huge black and grey wolf stepped mincingly into her vision. Holy crap. Ruby had changed in the morning with the sun peeping over the tree line two days after the full moon had passed. That had to be uncomfortable.

Rubywolf snarled and lunged without attacking, pushing the crowd away in fear. She circled Belle and then stepped over her chest, her intention of ripping out the throat of anyone moronic enough to come near very, very clear.

Rumpelstiltskin's dagger glinted in the dim light. It pointed straight down Ruby's back, reminding everyone exactly who she was and what she controlled. Her pendant hung from her thick neck and brushed across Belle's breasts as she stood guard. The two objects that contained more power than her wolf hadn't disappeared like her clothes.

Belle was barely conscious. Her face a bloody and bruised mess, and Emma clamped down on the thoughts of what the skin beneath her clothes looked like.

Emma followed the path Ruby created and pushed people out of the way if they backed into her. She holstered her weapon, feeling safe in Ruby's protective reach. Ruby's riotous demeanor caught hold in her heart as righteous anger burned her veins like acid. Pink magic bubbled and tingled in her hands, and she grinned darkly. Her heart wanted justice for her friend.

"Unless you'd like me to arrest all of you with magic, I suggest you get the hell on with your day in three seconds." She held up her hands as though she might cast a spell, and the crowd dispersed in a panic. Fuck them all. What was the use of constantly sacrificing themselves when everyone turned on them at the first sight of a darkened past? They weren't frakkin' angels, they were warriors.

One body fought the swarm of bodies and pushed towards them. "Belle!" Her little sister yelled and shoved at another body.

"Beth," the librarian whispered, and the younger woman dropped to her knee, uncaring of her perfectly pressed slack or the wolf bearing her teeth.

"I've just come from an emergency Council meeting. They've deemed Belle an enemy of the people for her part in the Massacre of Breck. I came as quickly as I could," she explained looked genuinely horrified at the state of her sister's beaten body.

"Without a hearing or giving Belle a chance to defend herself?" The question fell from Emma's lips in a murderous, angry tone not normally associated with the levelheaded savior of the people. Not when she carried her own heart, that was.

"Yes, I tried to protest, but I am not a member of the Council. Snow and David pleaded for a fair trial, but two voices among twenty are not considerably loud." Bethany's strained voice told Emma that the younger woman might have been on the verge of tears.

When Bethany brushed Belle's hair from her face, Ruby jerked bodily. Her hand was supposed to soothe Belle's fears. She snapped at Bethany's neck in warning, and the younger French stood abruptly and backed away with her hands up in surrender at her shoulder.

"Is she going to be okay?" Bethany asked and turned watery blue eyes to Emma's cold green.

"She will be," Emma answered confidently. "Ruby, get your ass into human form and get her to the car." The heroines of Storybrooke just made an appearance, and their people were the target of their wrath for turning so blindly against them after everything they'd sacrificed.

Bethany moved to follow them, stared into the distance over Emma's shoulder, stepped back. "I'm sorry. I must go."

"Beth, Stacy will understand if you're late. Belle wants you to stay," Emma reasoned, knowing it to be truth.

Bethany shook her head and wrung her hands in a very un-princess manner. What the hell? "I can't. I'm sorry. Will you please call me if her condition worsens?"

Emma nodded and watched the girl click away in her pumps, running from whatever specter haunted her mind. What the hell was that girl hiding? Emma ignored the unsettled lurch of her stomach.

Ruby transformed with a pained howl and panted on all fours above Belle for a moment. Gently she cradled her lover in her arms and moved her to the back of the cruiser. Emma manned the wheel and turned the vehicle towards the hospital.

"Rubes, ready to use that dagger?" She asked without looking at the wolf.

"For?" She clipped and kept Belle's head from jostling around.

"We're going to heal Eva. Ruby, they shut down the diner pending a full out investigation of the incident that I am expected to perform once I've been cleared for duty. With the small amount of evidence I've gathered already, they are going to shut it down permanently and probably expect you to be locked up for losing control of your wolf.

"I'm sure The Council has already banned Whale from performing surgery on Belle. They're afraid of an uprising from the people. Eva resisted them, and they removed her with someone who kissed their ass. That's why they stripped Regina of any power to kill any anarchy before it started. How long until I'm next?

"Someone is after us. They're taking us out of power one by one, which makes me think something big is coming. Whose going to stand up and stop it if we don't?"

"What are we going to do?" She asked, excitement growing in her chest.

"We're going to start a riot." Emma spat coldly, danger and rage in her voice.

Ruby grinned. "Fuck this town."

Emma twisted without taking her eyes from the road and pressed her fist against the screen separating them. Ruby fist bumped her through the metal mesh. "Fuck this town."

Security waited for them at the doors of the emergency room. Emma thought of helping Belle and flung pulses of pink magic into the men and then looked around for any others who might challenge her. Ruby entered a moment later with Belle in her arms and Rumpel obediently following.

Whale rushed towards Emma, "Sheriff Swan, you cannot bring her here. By order of The Council, Belle French is not to be treated at this hospital or any other medical facility in Storybrooke."

Emma blew past him, Ruby and Rumpel flanking her. He sprinted ahead and jumped in front of her. She stopped a second before she bumped into him. "You are the sheriff, and as such, you are bound by the decree of The Council."

A collective gasp exploded in the crowded room when Emma grabbed the lapels of his doctor's jacket and slammed him into the wall hard enough to crack drywall. "I'm not your goddamn sheriff."

She released him and continued towards the elevator.

"But you're The Savior," he called after her, making the mistake of chasing her down again.

He crumpled to the floor unconscious from the fury her fist unleashed against his eye socket. "I'm not your savior, nor do I bow to The Council's will!" Emma yelled at the crowd.

"Your Council that can apparently do no wrong condones an angry mob beating a woman half to death and then denies her medical care," she informed the crowd in case they hadn't heard of Belle's predicament.

"Wake up, you damn fools! Whose next? Leroy for getting drunk too much? Regina because they believe she hasn't adequately paid for her crimes? Ruby for killing innocents when she couldn't control her wolf years ago? Lauren for using her powers at work to help the best damn surgeon we have to do her job? How about Granny for the unregistered use of a crossbow?"

Anger completely consumed Emma's mind, and the next words were delivered in a cold, mocking tone that more suited The Evil Queen, not The Savior with her heart of gold, metaphorically speaking.

"Who will protect you from the next threat if the women you've deemed 'The Heroines of Storybrooke' have all been condemned by this Council you exalt?

"If that is the kind of tyranny you want leading you, then I am _not _your savior. I am not your princess. And I am certainly not your fucking peacekeeper."

Emma held her chin high and planted her feet. "I'm a goddamn anarchist."

Word apparently spread of Emma and Ruby's wave of anger directed at any opposing them. Some nurses and techs fell into step with them. Most simply stayed pressed against the wall and out of their way. She flung two pulses into security officers sprinting towards her as they neared Eva's room.

Lauren nodded when they entered. "Eva knows he's going to heal her. I wasn't sure if it's painful or not, so I gave her a sedative. I can reverse it with this," she explained and held up another syringe.

"It will be painful, Dearie," Rumpel confirmed and stepped forward, his task already mapped out before him by a very pissed off Ruby Lucas.

"She's okay with this?" Emma asked and crossed her arms over her chest, eyes never leaving the door. More people joined their mission outside the door, apparently unsatisfied with how things had been going with The Council in charge instead of The Queen. Emma smiled.

"No, she's not, but she understands the position that you're in. We'd considered asking Ruby for Rumpel's assistance anyway if Amelia couldn't fix her nerves," Lauren answered and stood stoically at Emma's side.

"I understand if you aren't with us, Lauren. One of you should keep your job," Emma gave her an out.

Lauren pulled the dagger from the sheath on the back of her belt and judged its weight in her hand. "I'm with you. And when all of this is over and we've come on the other side victorious, Eva and I want a shot at those pendants."

Ruby nodded and readjusted Belle's weight. "You got it, Succubus."

"Done," Rumpel announced. "I can fix the scars later if your doctor lives to see the end of this. No deal necessary, not that I could make one if I wanted," he nodded pointedly at Ruby. "I'm quite amused with your little debacle, Mrs. Swan."

"Wake her up. I don't know how badly Belle is injured," Emma ordered her third in command in the absence of Belle and Regina, completely ignoring the impotent imp.

"I could simply heal her, Dearie," Rumpel tossed out as if it were any stranger on the street.

"Not a chance in hell, you slimy bastard," Ruby answered for her unconscious lover. "She doesn't want you near her. She'll take the pain."

Rumpel shrugged. "I could help you take them down, if you let me show you how," he said in a singsongy lilt.

Emma bristled, "Shut him the hell up."

"Be gone, fucker. We don't need you any longer," Ruby ordered, and with a flourish of hands, he disappeared.

"He's way too fucking happy that we're defying The Council right now. Think he's involved in this?" Emma asked quietly, knowing the wolf caught every word.

"I asked him if he was involved in the plot to hurt us," Ruby said and glanced towards a moaning Eva. The reality of what they were doing settled into her as the adrenaline faded, and Ruby realized that she didn't care. Fuck those pretentious pricks.

"Maybe we were asking the wrong questions," Emma said and nodded at Eva as she moved from the bed for the first time in nearly a week.

The surgeon tossed her right arm around Lauren's neck and leaned heavily, still weak from sedation and muscles atrophied from lack of movement for a week. "Should have done that a week ago," she rasped. "Knew something wasn't right."

"Radiology," Lauren said. "We need a full body x-rays, MRI of her brain and abdominals to check for internal bleeding." Her phone bleeped, and she dug it from her pocket.

"Ben has the MRI room clear. We'll start there. He's a silent partner in this, we clear?" Emma nodded and led the crowd to the elevator. They took the stairs instead of the elevators.

Emma flung more energy balls into security guards as she came thru the door. Her magic was sporadic at best, but she had nothing else at her disposal but her guns. It was difficult to hurt people when her magic originated in the desire to help unselfishly. She thought of Belle. They went down one at a time.

One rounded the corner strategically and fired his taser gun. Emma ducked and rolled behind Ruby who turned her back, protecting both her and Belle, and accepted the prongs into her back, gritting her teeth against the volts of electricity coursing through her veins. Dumb ass, trying to take down a wolf with a taser.

Emma waved her hand and flung the tiny prongs into the man and sneered as he hit the deck. The distraction allowed another group of a few brave members of the hospital staff who must have been warriors in their world and security officers to take up defensive positioning down the hall. Some grabbed the tasers of downed officers, others produced hidden daggers.

"First wave, take the tasers," a famliar voice whispered behind them a moment before Caleb burst between Emma and Ruby at the front. He went down, but he was a big guy. A few others followed, engaging in direct hand to hand or following Caleb to the floor.

"Enough of this!" Lauren yelled as she leaned her lover against the wall and handed off the knife. She strode directly into the chaos, hands hovering near either hip, palms facing the crowd.

Emma faltered a step and then caught her balance, fighting the pull to follow Lauren. Some of her group actually followed the succubus. Damn, she packed a helluva a wallop. When they gathered in a group, she backed away with a sneer on her face.

"Take them down, Emma, and for the love of god, don't hit me," Lauren ordered, trusting Emma's sometimes faulty magic.

She thought of Belle and of Regina's demotion to everyday citizen. She thought of the asshole who'd nearly killed Eva. Pink flew around Lauren's body, gently rendering the crowd unconscious. Lauren returned to her lover as the last one crumpled to the floor. Caleb moaned and struggled to his feet.

Emma hooked her arm under his as she passed and steadied the man who had taken 50,000 volts for them. "You good?"

"I will be. Let's go," he said quietly, clearly hurting. His steps wobbled, but he took them proudly, not willing to slow down the rest of the group. She smiled a little, her magic swelling at the thought of Amelia getting her happy ending.

They walked the rest of the way without incident. Lauren wasn't kidding when she said the path had been cleared. Emma pulled her gun and shot each security camera as they came upon them in the radiology hallway.

Ruby stretched her arms as Lauren and Eva worked on Belle, injecting dye and removing any metal by cutting it away with the knife Lauren borrowed form Emma. Lauren appeared around the door and tossed Belle's necklace to Ruby who slipped it around her neck. It clanked against her own, and the wolf held them for comfort.

Emma stood watch by the door. An X-ray tech stepped forward and assisted Lauren while Eva read the scans of her MRI diligently. Emma jumped when two sets of pounding feet rounded the corner. Arizona stopped abruptly and a tall brunette banged into her back before raising her hands, too.

"We're here to help," Arizona said and then surged forward when the tech emerged from the room. "This is Callie Torres. She's an orthopedic surgeon and also my wife."

Ruby nodded, "She set Belle's arm. Try not to jack her up on unnecessary pain medication this time."

"Tell her to stop telling people how to do their jobs," the doctor countered. Emma snorted, instantly liking the woman.

She ducked into the room and studied the pictures on the screen. Eva hobbled down the hall towards them, using the wall as support. The small group of hospital staff that stayed behind to keep for her watch hovered, knowing they weren't able to help but putting their bodies between her and any sudden attack.

"Lauren!" Emma called, and the nurse emerged immediately to assist her partner.

"No internal bleeding. Brain looks good from what I can tell," Eva panted and leaned heavily on Lauren.

"No broken bones. Just a fracture on the eye socket. It will heal naturally. She's lucky considering the amount of damage." Callie said, relieved, and then destroyed the moment. "Kind of a sissy mob, don't you think?"

A few giggled, and Emma might have joined them if she hadn't seen Belle beaten by those she'd destroyed herself to save. She killed for them. She broke the vow to herself to never use magic. Obliterated her heart and mind in the pursuit of protecting her people, not mentioning her self-confidence in appearance and propriety. She literally tore apart the entire identity she wanted to live for them. It made Emma sick.

Ruby pulled them through the moment, "Kind of a tough woman in there." Everyone sobered, remembering Belle's sacrifice.

Emma stepped forward. "Callie, Arizona, get out of here. We can't take all the hospital staff down with us. We need some of you guys on our side on this side, understand?" Emma said and glanced around nervously.

The two doctors nodded and took off in the direction they'd come at a dead sprint, hands clasped tightly.

"Rubes, get Belle. Eva, Lauren, you're coming with us. You're directly involved, which means you're a target."

Emma turned to the rest of the group. "I notice most of you as Belle's soldiers in the war against Pan. Something's not right in Storybrooke again. Stay diligent. If any recognize you as part of this, come to the mansion or call me immediately. We're going to figure this out."

The crowd nodded and dispersed. Emma tucked her hand between Belle and Ruby and extended the other one to Eva and Lauren. Caleb stepped into the group. "I'm not leaving Amelia unprotected."

Emma nodded, "Grab my shoulder and hold your breath."

He followed her orders and waited for Eva and Lauren to touch The Savior before taking a deep breath. The seer winced but held tight as Emma focused on the foyer of the mansion, thought about Regina, and flashed with her crew in tow.

Regina appeared from the living room with Annabel in her arms. Ruby carried Belle wordlessly upstairs, her ears immediately locating their daughter playing in the living room. Lauren deposited Eva on one of the sofas and then followed Ruby with the intention of cleaning and dressing Belle's wounds.

"Emma Swan, what have you done?" Regina demanded.

Emma stalked into the kitchen. Amelia felt the heady energy wafting from her friend and made a fumbling retreat to the living room. Emma snagged a coffee cup from the cabinet and slammed it onto the counter with enough force to shatter it. She leaned her hands on the counter and supported her weight.

"They beat her, Regina," Emma seethed. Regina's anger dissipated slightly. She'd missed something huge.

"Who beat her, Darling? What's happened?" She pushed, heart pounding with fear and confusion.

Emma pulled the flyer from her back pocket and unfolded it for Regina to see. "Ruby and I took over the hospital. They weren't even going to let her in the doors after being beaten by an angry mob."

"Are you serious?" Emma nodded. "The Council?" Emma nodded again, too angry to speak. Sure, Belle hadn't been seriously injured, internally anyway, but if she'd required surgery, they would have hijacked an operating room, too, and guarded it as long as it took to keep Belle alive.

"We're not being paranoid, Regina," Emma whispered. "The Council is stripping us of power, one at a time. I have no idea why they've attacked Amelia and Eva like they have, maybe it's completely unrelated, but this threat is real. Why?"

"Absolute control," Regina supplied the answer. "As long as we are viewed as The Heroines of Storybrooke, The Council's power is threatened."

Emma flung the toaster from the counter with a scream of frustration. Regina jerked, tightening her grip on Annabel, when it crashed into the wall and clattered to the floor. "We don't want power! Can't they see that?" She wanted to cry, to scream, to beat something. They'd only just abolished one threat, and now their own people turned against them for leading them to victory.

"Em," Regina started and placed Annabel in the portable bed that lived permanently on the island.

"No, Regina. I'm next. The only thing they have on me is my drug use. That is the only thing, and once that gets out, I'm gone, too." Emma laughed darkly.

"I struck first. I had to," Emma held her hips and bowed her head. Her breaths came in ragged gasps that shook her chest.

"You took yourself out of power in order to maintain power. That's brilliant, Darling," Regina gushed and rubbed her hands over Emma's tense shoulders. "How many followed you?"

"A few, not nearly enough, but it's a start. Word will spread that I've defied The Council. More will come." Emma pulled away from her wife and slumped onto a stool. She didn't want this, but it was her burden to carry.

"What the hell happened, Regina? Everything was fine a week ago, and then shit just blew up. What is The Council doing? Are they actually orchestrating the attacks on those closest to us, to you?"

Regina recoiled. "Why on earth would they? I abdicated my position as queen long before they ever stripped me of the title. It was one of the reasons I cast the curse in the first place."

The front door flew open and then slammed. Emma touched Regina's shoulder and stepped in front of her and Annabel, magic at the ready. Bethany rounded the corner in a huff. Caleb and Amelia appeared behind her, trapping her between them and away from the children.

"Please, lower your magic, Sheriff. We need to have a chat," the younger French said breathlessly. Her heels dangled from one hand. Had she run all the way from Town Hall?

"Talk fast. What do you have to do with this?" Emma seethed, not lowered her ball of magic a centimeter. Regina appeared at her shoulder, the heat from a fireball comforting Emma enough to lower her magic. Regina controlled hers much better and required less coaxing to pull it to the surface.

"I've been working with The Council as a spy. They asked for information that might depose the four of you. I have no idea what they're planning, but people are scared of them."

Emma grabbed the lapels of Bethany's black blazer and pulled her close. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Bethany grabbed her shoulders and leaned closer. "You cannot arrest them for what they've done to her, Emma. She is an enemy of the people. Hide her, protect her, but do not fight The Council. They control everything."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Emma repeated, happy to finally be gathering solid information.

"They are removing those in power who may overthrow them. Belle… she's powerful whether she wants it or not. She's of royal blood, which means at any moment, she may claim a spot on The Council and demote one who is not royal. That alone makes her a threat, but she also earned the respect and trust of the people thru her actions during Pan's War. She's the biggest threat to The Council."

"How do you know all of this?" Fear and shame joined grief in Bethany's bright blue eyes, and the girl dropped her head as she lost control of her tears.

"Bethany!"

"I'm sorry," she said in a breathy whisper, laced with genuine remorse and grief. It was the first thing she'd uttered that Emma actually believed.

"I was so angry at her abandonment. I've done horrible things, one of which was spying on her for The Council. I didn't expect… Your family just… She's…" Bethany stuttered and then grabbed Emma's t-shirt at her shoulders in desperate, clawed fingers.

"I never told them about Breck! No matter what I've done or what she's done, I love my sister and knew this to be the result if I uttered of word of it," Bethany cried, and Emma held her up begrudgingly.

After a moment, Regina shook the girl back to reality. "The Council knew nothing of Breck?"

"No," the girl whined and shook her head. "They appeared as shocked as everyone else when those flyers appeared this morning. I never meant for this to happen. I just wanted to hurt her, but not like this, not to the point of threatening her life," Bethany confessed and leaned against Emma again in an explosion of tears and broken princess.

"Eva?" Emma jerked her lapels once more and ducked her head to meet those blue eyes she'd much rather see on Belle's face right now.

"I didn't do it. She's my doctor. I had questions about the procedure I was having done the following week. Needless to say, it was not completed," she growled, a sliver of the bitchy princess showing.

"I sought her professional opinion that morning pertaining to an infection that needed cleared before the operation because Dr. Montgomery wasn't available," Bethany explained in one huge breath and then gasped for air. She was completely broken.

"Addison?" Regina blurted and touched the girl's shoulder.

Bethany nodded. "My father…" Emma's heart dropped to the floor.

"Enough, Regina. Back off," Emma ordered and released the blazer, accepting the quivering girl into her arms. Bethany cried softly into her neck, much calmer now that she wasn't being interrogated and riled emotionally.

"Go get Rumpel's dagger and summon him. That bastard knows something," Emma demanded gently of her wife. Regina nodded, smart enough to connect the pieces but unable to summon the patience to comfort the girl.

Amelia and Caleb disappeared wordlessly

She waited until Regina left before turning to the sobbing mess in her arms. "Beth, you're okay. You're safe here."

She nodded and pulled away, attempting to compose herself. "I know. Thank you."

Emma led her to a stool, sat a cup of coffee in front of her and then headed towards the door. "You're not going to ask what he did?"

Emma faced the younger French with slumped shoulders and soft eyes. "It's none of my business unless you want to tell me, Bethany. If you're seeing Addison, then it probably was some type of sexual assault, but it's your story to tell, not mine to draw conclusions about."

The girl nodded and turned her gaze to Annabel. "I'll keep an eye on her," she offered and hesitantly touched the infant's tiny foot.

"Make sure to support her head," Emma instructed. "I'll send in Amelia anyway."

Bethany slumped bodily. "You don't trust me."

"Should I?" Emma blurted, uncaring if it hurt Bethany's feelings. She'd betrayed them, betrayed Belle. No matter the trauma she suffered, trust was earned, not given freely, and she'd smashed the little she had by confessing her sins.

Bethany shook her head, "I suppose not." Her tone wasn't angry or defensive of offended. She understood the gravity of her screw up and hated herself more because they offered sanctuary instead of condemnation. Amelia was right, she wanted these women in her corner.

"Emma!" Regina's frantic cry pulled her undivided attention to her wife.

Amelia and Caleb met them in the foyer. Emma jerked a thumb over her shoulder, and Amelia nodded wordlessly as she hurried into the kitchen. Regina flew down the stairs with Rumpel's dagger and a piece of paper crackling in her hand. Emma's heart dropped.

"Belle's gone," she said when she hit the foyer, bare feet slapping in her haste.

"I think she used Amelia's sleeping powder. Ruby and Lauren are fine but unconscious. She left this note," she explained and extended the paper.

Emma accepted it in one hand and her wife in the other. "I'm sorry, Ruby. I cannot live this way anymore. Everything I care about has been destroyed. My sister scorns me, my child fears me, and the people I have worked so hard to protect has turned against me. Our relationship has been over for a while. We've simply been too stubborn to admit defeat.

"I will always love you. You are my soul mate, my True Love, that much has been proven by the fact that I am able to cross the line without losing my memories. There is simply too much pain and mistrust. I hope you understand why I can't stay. Take care of Alex. Belle."

Emma read the note again silently. Regina clutched at her shirt, unable to process the new development in their lives.

"She couldn't have gotten that far. I'll go get her," Emma said suddenly. Regina nodded and met Emma for a heated kiss.

"Call me the moment you see her vehicle. I can meet you at the line and incapacitate her magic should she decide to use her life force," Regina said in parting.

Emma nodded and kissed her once more. The paper fluttered to the floor, hands holding either side of Regina's face. It lingered, and Emma pulled away reluctantly. "I love you."

"I love you, Darling." She almost told Emma to be careful but bit her tongue. It was a useless sentiment.

Emma rushed outside to her Camry, immediately smelling gas. She dropped to a push-up and swore silently. Belle cut the gas line, ensuring no one immediately followed her. Emma gritted her teeth and thought about the hospital.

Her body flew apart, molecules floating in a lilac-flavored swirl. She reappeared a moment in the parking lot of the hospital. Luckily, no one challenged her as she jumped into the cruiser, hit the lights and sirens, and sped off with a screech of tires.

A mile from the town line, the Mercedes blipped into view. Emma shoved her hands free device into her ear and called her wife.

"Hey, about a mile from the line. I won't catch her before she passes it, but it won't be long. Belle's not that good at driving," Emma blurted as a greeting and pressed on the accelerator.

"Amelia was able to reverse the effects of the powder. I'll bring Ruby and meet you there. Granny and David are on their way over to watch the kids," Regina briefed her on happenings at the house.

A flash of purple on the side of road distracted Emma for one moment. She returned her eyes to the road, almost scared at the dangerously high speed. "Hello, Beautiful," she greeted with a smile when Ruby and Regina appeared.

Regina waved. Ruby nodded.

Emma crossed the line in a ball of flames.

Regina screamed.

Ruby yelled and grabbed the witch around the waist as she rushed towards Emma.

The cruiser flipped almost in slow motion, the explosion destroying its equilibrium on the road.

A crunch of metal on pavement.

A jolt.

Emma rolled in the cab. Why hadn't she worn her seat belt?

Regina screamed.

Ruby yelled.

When a person broke her life into moments, the truly important things and lessons in that life became glaringly obvious.

The sudden startle that the power of loud thunder inspired humbled her in the face of a force much more powerful and uncontrollable. She was not immortal or invincible.

Blackout.


	13. Power and Control

Thank you for the wonderful reviews, My Sweets!

Songs: Running up That Hill by Placebo, Rock This by Santigold (Regina & Ruby), Rain by Patty Griffin

* * *

"Regina, stop fighting me! I'm not letting you go over that line!" Ruby yelled directly into her friend's ear.

"Ruby, please!" Regina fought against her, every piece of her heart shattering into tiny shards, never to be reassembled. Emma lay right there, right across the line. She'd flown from the windshield during the second flip of the car and rolled to a stop on the pavement. She'd not moved or said anything.

Ruby spun her violently and grabbed her shoulders, shaking them roughly. "Emma might be dead, Regina," she said, cold and unrelenting. Regina needed to understand. "If you go over that line, your children will have lost both of their mothers in the same day."

Regina nodded slowly, eyes closed and chin quivering. "Go to the house. Get Lauren. Put her heart in Eva's chest." Regina nodded again and disappeared.

Ruby closed her eyes against the blind panic in her chest and tried to focus her ears. They searched for the steady thump of Emma's heart in vain. Ruby opened her eyes and grazed her fingertips over the barrier shimmering with the light touch. Emma lay unmoving on the pavement, not 30 feet from her.

She'd still be Red, relatively the same person without the pain and regret of being Ruby. She'd forget Belle. She'd forget that she loved her, that she'd lost her, perhaps forever. She'd forget Alex.

She pulled her fingertips away and stepped back from the temptation. Alex lost a mother this day, too. Her child needed her to maintain a clear head, rise above her own selfish desires and put her first.

Regina appeared a moment later with Lauren. The nurse blindly trusted her heroes turned family and sprinted over the line. She faltered the second she crossed and shivered as her succubus left her. Ruby caught the phone as Lauren twisted and tossed it over the line.

"Call Shay and Dawson. They're paramedics. They'll come. Regina, I'm going to need some help. Go to the hospital and shove Callie's heart into Arizona's chest and bring Callie here," her voice jolted as she sprinted to Emma and ordered them around at the same time.

Nurse Lauren just took control. Her hand wrapped around Emma's neck immediately. Slight panic gripped her heart when she felt nothing at first. She pressed harder, and tiny, weakened thump jumped against her fingertips.

"She's alive!" She yelled across the line. "Barely," she added when Regina disappeared. Ruby jerked visibly, having heard the last word. Fucking wolf ears.

Without moving Emma, she quickly examined the damage. Lots of superficial abrasions. Piece of metal sticking out of her leg. How the hell did a piece of the bumper get in her leg? Shaking fingers wiggled into a hole in her shirt and ripped it open.

"Danes!" Callie called and ran to her side.

"Torres, I need your help when Shay and Dawson get here. I can't move her by myself. All things considered, she seems relatively uninjured, but we're probably busting into the hospital again. Tachycardic pulse."

Callie absorbed the information and then stuck her stethoscope to Emma's chest. "Shit, Tension Pneumothorax. She can't breath." she said and slung the instrument over her neck.

"Hold on," Lauren said and sprinted back to the line. "I need a knife, a lighter, the biggest needle you can find, and a tube. Tell Arizona we need a Tension Pneumothorax kit."

Regina disappeared, and Lauren fidgeted. Emma had no time, but slow and easy was the best they had to offer right now. It made her sick. If she'd lost control further from the line, they'd not arrived in time to save her. Her visible injuries presented a large enough challenge to her life, and they had yet to peek inside.

A siren in the distance gave her hope.

Regina appeared once more and tossed the plastic bag to the nurse.

Lauren sprinted off and handed the materials to the surgeon. She held Emma's shoulders down with all of her weight just in case she jerked awake at the sudden pain. "Got her," she told Callie.

The doctor nodded and slid the needle into Emma's chest with a brow furrowed in concentration. Air gushed, and they both relaxed in relief. Callie listened to her chest again and shook her head.

"Damn it. Chest cavity is filling with fluid, too, I think. Hold the needle."

Lauren obeyed, and Callie reopened Emma's scar from two years ago when she'd been shot. The tube slid in with a little coaxing, blood immediately pouring from the chest cavity.

Lauren snatched her stethoscope and pressed it to Emma's chest again with one hand and touched her neck with the other. "Pulse is stabilizing."

The nurse removed the buds from her ears and inserted them into Callie's, mindful of her bloody hands. "Lungs are clearing. She needs surgery. Whale is not going to be happy after her little show, but The Council hasn't banned her yet."

"We need Eva," Lauren admitted hesitantly. Her lover barely had the strength to stand, much less perform surgery.

"We need Eva," Callie confirmed. "Whale is not going to treat her."

"What about Arizona? She's a pediatric surgeon. Aren't they like general surgeons for tiny bodies?" Lauren asked. Callie nodded but withheld comment as the ambulance arrived.

"Hey!" Dawson called from the line and held up a backboard and neck brace.

Lauren sprinted back to the line. "Gabby, I need you to talk me through this properly. I've never done it before, not in the field."

The paramedic nodded and handed over the supplies. "Call me when you get back to her." She jumped when Rumpelstiltskin suddenly appeared.

"Can you heal internal injuries?" Ruby asked immediately. Rumpel raised an eyebrow and grinned maliciously.

"I can't guarantee it'll be right, Dearie. The seer was different. I healed her one layer of skin at a time." He wrinkled his nose and leaned close to her face; she held her ground. "I'd rather not kill The Savior."

"Do you know about The Council's plan?" Ruby asked suddenly.

"Be more specific," he toyed with her, and she almost stabbed him.

"What are they planning by directly taking me, Emma, Belle and Regina out of power?"

Rumpel looked pissed. He'd been caught yet again. "They intend to use Zelena's portal to take everyone back to The Enchanted Forest and prevent Regina from being born."

Regina bristled, "Are you helping them?"

He giggled maniacally. "Of course not, Dearie. That'd be against the rules." He nodded towards Ruby.

Regina huffed a sigh and grabbed his jacket, holding him close to the line. His hair brushed against the barrier. Fear ignited in his previously smug and amused eyes. "You cannot hurt me or defend yourself in anyway against me without Ruby's permission." She grinned, much like The Queen might have and batted her eyes.

"Speak plainly or after we've reamed every ounce of information from those reluctant lips, I'll throw you over this line," she threatened. He listened.

"Alright," he whispered, his cowardice bleeding through the arrogance.

Regina held his suit jacket and kept him close to the line. "Did you ever enchant anything for any of The Council members?"

"Yes."

"Did you give them spells or potions?"

"Yes."

"Did you give them information about Emma and Belle's past?"

"Yes."

"Did you tell them that Belle actually destroyed Breck instead of you?"

"No. I was as pleasantly surprised as the rest of you this morning."

"Do you know who told them?"

"No, Dearie. As I said, I knew nothing of her involvement until this morning."

Regina released him, distracted by Callie and Lauren hefting Emma over the line. Callie passed her feet over to Shay and Dawson and then hurried to her head to assist Lauren.

"Lauren," Regina said as she touched her arm. "Get Emma to the hospital and prepped for surgery. Call Amelia and have Caleb bring Eva to the hospital. IF Arizona can help, tell her that I gave the order to start the surgery and to stop for no one and nothing. The explosion was caused by a spell attached to the car when Emma crossed the town line."

"What are you going to do?" Lauren asked, but Regina only touched her wife's bloody face.

She brushed a thumb over her forehead near the gauze. "My brave fool," she whispered and pressed a kiss to Emma's bloody temple. "Please come home once more, and I swear I'll never let you go again, Darling. It's time I stop denying who I am, who I was born to be as you have."

She closed her eyes and held her lips against Emma's heated skin. "My beautiful Savior, today your Queen reclaims her throne."

With that, Regina whirled from the gurney, grabbed Rumpelstiltskin and Ruby by the arms, and disappeared in a swirl of purple haze.

When they came together outside the doors of the meeting room in Town Hall where they'd celebrated their wedding, Ruby noticed Regina's outfit change first. It was the same bitchy black dress and mountain high pumps she'd worn the day Emma had been shot in this very room. So many conflicting memories, as with most of their lives.

The doors blew open a second before Regina entered, the fact that she'd not touched them obvious. Several members of The Council found their feet as did many of the citizens watching the hearing. Of course they allowed civilians to be present when they dragged Emma's name through the mud and condemned her.

Snow stood in relief and immediately joined Emma's wife, showing a united front. David had not so gracefully been removed for his blatant disrespect to the elders during Belle's sentencing, so she later discovered.

"Hello, Midas," Regina greeted darkly and crooked a finger over her shoulder. Ruby appeared at her side.

"Rumpy, Dear," Regina started and strode confidently into the center of the semi-circle the 20 chairs created.

"If you please, force the members of this meeting who conspired with you to stand," Regina demanded, the words not actually a question.

Ruby rapped him on the back of the head when he blatantly refuse. "Do what she says. Answer all of her questions honestly should she ask, but do not speak unless spoken to."

"Thank you, Wolf Pup," Regina nodded, intentionally using her pet name for the younger woman. Every knew who held the loyalty of the woman who controlled The Dark One.

One by one, people came to their feet, clearly struggling against their invisible bonds. Regina's eyes moved to each of them slowly. "14 out of 20."

Regina walked calmly and slowly to the president, the leader, the chairman, whatever title he preferred these days. All she saw was a selfish and ruthless king from their land.

"Rumpy, dear," she started and sneered at Midas. "Why did this council ask you for spells and potions?"

"To use against those opposed to their plans," Rumpel answered reluctantly. He really wanted his dagger back.

"I see," her voice hit a higher octave she hadn't used since her Evil Queen days in The Enchanted Forest. "And in exchange, did they promise anything in return?"

"I am not permitted to make deals, but there was an unofficial agreement that I'd be offered my freedom and seat on The Council once the four of you were incapacitated." He muttered, but the crowd erupted in heated whispers or cries of outrage anyway.

"Indeed? Interesting. And pray tell, Dear Dark One, exactly what year had they intended to plop everyone into?" Regina mocked him with her tone but obeyed with clenched teeth.

"The year before your birth. They intended to finish Zelena's mission and erase The Evil Queen from existence." His confession pulled another collective gasp through the crowd.

"Fascinating tale. Tell me, Dearie," she spat in disgust, "what significant historical event began the year before my birth?"

Rumpel glared at her, murder evident in his eyes. Regina prayed silently that Ruby never lost grip on that dagger. "The Second Ogre War."

"Precisely," Regina said as though everyone in the room should have deciphered her barely concealed hints by now. She spelled it out anyway as she faced her people and addressed them regally.

"These people you've deemed fit to run our government have betrayed all of you. They have personally attacked and intentionally injured those nearest to me in pursuit of power. The women who swore to protect you at great risk and sacrifice to their own lives have become outcasts, ostracized by the fear these so called noble people. The same people who intended to lead you to intentional slaughter and rebuild the land in their image."

Regina smirked at the collective fear and outrage spreading throughout the rabble and pulled the crest of the leader of The Council from Midas' neck. "Any opposed to my claiming my rightful spot among you? I may have brought us back to Storybrooke, but I'd never intentionally lead you into harm if it could be prevented."

She held her head high and waited for a brave soul to speak up for her.

"I second Regina's motion," Snow blurted. "Do we have a third?"

"Me," a gruff man said boldly and stood. Regina recognized him as Gaston's father, the man who shot Emma. "I also support the motion. All in favor, raise your hand."

The remaining three members raised their hands, genuinely relieved. Regina stared at the amulet for an extended moment. With a steadying breath, she closed her eyes and raised it over her head.

"I accept the responsibility of this council. I swear to uphold the values of integrity, honesty, and servitude as long as I bear this crest." She'd said the words before, but she actually meant them this time. They weren't exactly verbatim, but the applause said that she'd come close enough.

"Please arrest those vile creatures, Rumpel. Lock them in the cells in sheriff's station for the moment. You are not to harm them, speak to them, or communicate with them in any form." Regina said and strode back to Snow.

"We must go. Emma has been in a terrible car accident," Regina whispered to her mother-in-law, the cracks in her confidence clear now that the moment passed.

Ruby took her hand, Snow accepted the other, and they disappeared. All eyes found the heavy round disk of gold around her neck when she appeared in the middle of the emergency room. "Take me to the observation deck of the operating room where Emma is being treated."

A young woman stepped forward. She failed to recognize her, but they all silently followed. They entered in time to see Whale burst through the door and interrupt the surgery before it ever started. Eva sat in a chair behind Lauren and held her lover's hips. Lauren was doing the surgery? What sort of seer mojo was Eva working on her succubus?

The nurse grabbed Emma's gun from the table and pointed it between Whale's eyes, her hand as steady as a surgeon's should have been. Without hesitation, Regina tapped on the glass with the pendant and held it flat against the barrier when Whale glanced up. Color drained from his face, and he retreated instantly. Lauren nodded once, returned the gun, and held her hand up, silently requesting a fresh glove.

"Regina, Amelia is studying Emma's brain scans right now," Lauren said, but her focus remained on the body on the table as she confidently cut into her wife.

Regina glanced away, bile rising in her throat. "I'm going home to be with my children. Please call once they've finished, Snow. I'll ask David to come sit with you."

Snow nodded, "Of course, Regina. Thank you for what you did today. The Council was not designed for despotism but intended for fairness and forgiveness for all. If I'd known what they planned, I'd have told you and Emma."

Regina's brow furrowed. "It was not something I wanted, but it was desperately needed. I shall do it properly this time."

The sadness in her eyes and exhaustion in her tone pulled at Snow's heartstrings. Regina truly changed, for Emma, for Henry, for all of them. Of course she knew that, but this moment solidified everything Regina explained to be true during her hearing only a week ago. Before she commented on that fact, she and Ruby disappeared in a flash of smoke.

They reappeared in the living room where Bethany, Granny and David played with Alex and Annabel. Ruby explained Emma's accident and Regina's badassery while Regina cradled her daughter closer and curled into an arm of the sofa. She glanced at the clock as David blew out the front door and fired up his old truck.

They'd only awoken two hours ago.

Ruby's arms pulled her against a thin chest before Regina registered the fact that she'd begun crying. Alex climbed into their laps and nestled between them. "Wolf, where's Mama?" The girl looked up at her hero with watery eyes of her own. She'd asked for Belle everyday the woman remained absent from her life.

"Mama had to take a break for a while, Baby," Ruby explained, completely lost on how to word the situation to her confused and hurting daughter.

"Did she have to go away like Mommy and Daddy?" Regina cried harder, and Ruby pressed her lips to Alex's head.

"No, Baby, Mama will be back," she assured the scared toddler and reached for their pendants, surprised to find only one. Belle had taken hers with her. Ruby's heart swelled. Belle intended to return, she knew it.

"She'll be back, Alex. We only have to believe," the wolf whispered as though it were a huge secret.

"Do you believe?" She asked with those same hopeful eyes.

Ruby tucked blonde hair behind her tiny ear and smiled sincerely. "I believe with all of my heart."

Alex flung her arms around her adoptive mother's neck and held on for dear life. "Then I believe, too. Love you, Mama Wolf."

Granny and Bethany wiped their own tears at the big sentiment in the tiny girl's words. Regina touched her hair lovingly as Ruby wrapped her long arms around all of them and held on tightly, her lifelines.

"I love you, too, Little Wolf," Ruby returned and then pulled the girl back gently to meet her eyes. "This isn't your fault, okay? Mama Belle loves you more than anything. She just had to take a break for a little while, okay?"

"Like I have to take naps when I play too much?" Alex sought understanding on her level.

Ruby nodded, "Exactly like that. So when she comes home, we won't be mad at her okay? We're going to tell her that we understand, right? That we all need a nap sometimes?"

Alex nodded enthusiastically. "Can we have a tea party when she comes home? She likes tea."

"I think she'd like that," Regina added, supporting Ruby's explanation of the situation. The wolf was a natural mother. It twisted the knife that she and Belle had been so close only to have everything crumble beneath them once more.

The toddler settled and played with the red streak in Ruby's hair. Regina sniffled. Ruby scratched at her scalp, offering what comfort she could. How had things gone so wrong in such a short amount of time?

Bethany cleared her throat anxiously. "How's Emma?"

Granny smacked her on the back of the head and glared. "She's in surgery, you damn fool. Weren't you listening a minute ago?"

Bethany's mouth unhinged at the harsh treatment, but a spark of affection grew in her eyes for the cantankerous woman who raised the wolf who stole her sister's heart. She clamped down on it and straightened her clothes as she stood.

"I believe I shall find use for my hands. Would anyone care for tea? Or lunch? I'm an absolute terror in the kitchen, but I have mastered sandwiches." She offered graciously.

Granny stood with a huff. "It's still breakfast time, fool. Come on, Girl. I'll teach you how to make something." The elder Lucas stomped towards the kitchen, and Bethany took a moment to look positively terrified before following the old woman.

"Why are we allowing her to stay again?" Ruby asked, not bothering to mask the venom in her voice.

Regina sighed deeply as she thought carefully about her answer. "Because Emma and Belle found something in her worthy of a second chance. We should honor that."

"I don't trust her."

"Nor do I," Regina agreed.

The chime of the door bell pulled groans from both of them. What else could possibly happen this morning? Ruby left Alex tucked against Regina and waved off Granny in the foyer. She peeped through the glass, anger flaring instantly.

She jerked the door open, making that anger known. "What the hell do you want?"

Jack stepped back, recoiling from the heady energy of rage wafting from his daughter. "News travels fast in a small town," he said and shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. "I wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Fine. Thanks for stopping by," Ruby clipped and closed the door.

He caught it a second before it shut with his hand. "Red, wait."

She cocked her hip and gritted her teeth, repelling the urge to cross her arms. No way was she letting go of that door. "I told you: my name is Ruby Lucas. Get it through your thick wolf skull. What the hell do think we possibly have to talk about?"

Jack took two steps back and returned his hands to the pockets. "Your mother. Your childhood. Your life here. Everyone knows of the brave and loyal Ruby Lucas, but very few actually _know_ her. I messed up the other day, didn't handle things right."

Ruby laughed one hollow bark. "Seriously? Didn't handle things right? Get out of here before I summon The Dark One to turn you into a toad."

Her hand settled comfortably on the dagger at her hip. His eyes exploded with envy, desire, want, need. Ruby's anger exploded with them. "You want the dagger."

Jack held up his hands. "Who doesn't? That's not why I'm here, Ruby. I missed out on so much. I want to be in your life, to be your father."

Ruby stepped towards him menacingly. Her foot connected with his chest before he even thought to react. Even as an older wolf, he should have been able to block her. She was powerful, much more powerful than any he'd seen. She'd changed in broad daylight. She had no clue what she possessed or why she struggled so much with control.

"You gave up that right 28 years ago. I already have a father. And a mother. And a teacher. And everything I could ever want in a guardian. Granny was everything to me and still is. You're just the vehicle that provided the sperm, nothing more." Ruby found the honesty behind the words surprising.

They'd been uttered in anger, but she'd meant every single one. Knowing him sparked nothing within her chest, no desire for connection, no need to resolve her daddy issues. Belle had taken her to a place far beyond her childhood trauma. The knife of her lover's absence twisted hard and fast, nearly stealing her breath.

"Get the hell off my walk. The next time you set foot on this stoop, I'll rip your throat out," Ruby threatened, and Jack acquiesced. Her wolf outmatched his by a long shot, despite his age and gender. She'd be unstoppable in only a few years, a target for those who wished to control her power.

She watched him scurry away and then slammed the door, locking it behind her. Granny stood at the top of the stairs, pride in her eyes. Ruby ascended four of the five steps and wrapped her arms around the woman who raised her. Granny was almost as tall as she at this height, and she laid her head on the abundance of bosom that smelled of burgers and apple pies.

"I love you, Granny," she whispered, allowing a tear or two to slid down her nose.

"She will come home," Ruby proclaimed and raised her head in determination. "I want to be someone she's proud of when she does. Will you help me learn better control?"

Granny smiled and touched her granddaughter's face, too youthful to contain so many lines of worry and grief. "I thought you'd never ask, Child."


	14. Blessings

Thank you for the reviews, Sweet Doves.

Enjoy!

Songs: Heartbreak Heard around the World by Jacob Latimore, Stand in Awe by Dala

* * *

_**3 Days After Belle's Departure **_

"Amelia, it's been three days. Three! When the hell will my wife wake up?" Regina stalked the surgeon through the halls of the hospital with Annabel strapped to her chest. Some of the nurses and clerical staff smirked, others rolled their eyes, and others still grabbed their chests at the unconditional love between The Queen and her Savior.

"Regina, we've been over this. I drill the holes and drain the fluid. I don't tell the brain when to wake up," Amelia replied as lightheartedly as possible and stopped just outside Emma's door. Regina terrorized the ICU for three days, and had she not worn that crest or threatened people with fireballs, she might have been removed forcefully more than once.

Regina bounced Annabel, soothing the girl as she raged. "You're the damn brain expert. What the hell is wrong with my wife?"

Amelia scratched her forehead and then ran her fingers through her dark hair. With a deep breath, she reminded herself that Regina acted as a scared spouse right now, not the head of The Council. Fear never suited Regina well, always manifested as anger.

"Regina, as far as her scans show, nothing is wrong with Emma besides the fact that she's stubborn. There are some odd readings from the temporal lobe, but it's active and working. For the last damn time, I can't tell you anymore until she wakes up."

Amelia touched her friend's shoulders and rubbed them gently. "I'm sorry, Regina. This is the best I can do."

Regina nodded and straightened her spine. "I know," she admitted quietly, stopping just short of also confessing her all-consuming fear. She needed to sleep before she collapsed.

"Did you still want me to baby-sit during your meeting?" Amelia asked hesitantly, hands raising and then dropping. She itched to hold Annabel again, the infant soothed her frayed nerves.

"Yes, of course. Thank you," Regina said as she raised her daughter from their carrier and handed her to Amelia, along with the diaper bag hanging from her shoulder.

"Hey there, tiny person," Amelia greeted the girl and tickled at her belly before pressing a kiss to her head, waiting for Regina to remove the pouch before looking at her again.

Her gaze returned to Regina's when she tossed the carrier carelessly to the floor. She swallowed at the grief and rage in those dark eyes, so closely resembling the look in Emma's eyes when she'd jumped her in her office a few months prior. "I'm not having sex with you."

"What?" Regina snapped, startling from her daze.

"You have that look in your eyes," Amelia explained and then retreated to Emma's side and settled into a chair.

Regina followed. "Do not be absurd, you little trollop. I have no desire to bed you."

Amelia snorted and rocked the tiny being in her arms. "You're queen is showing."

Regina sneered and retreated to the other side of the bed. "Unlike Emma, I can control the urges of my heart." She touched Emma's cut and bruised face lovingly, tracing her finger alongside the scabbed abrasions.

"I never properly thanked you for that, so thank you," Regina murmured, her softness returning as she touched her wife, confirming that she lived even if she hadn't woken.

"Thanked me?" Her head jerked up suddenly and searched Regina's features. The older woman continued to study Emma's face, completely oblivious to her gaze. "I thought you were going to kill me."

Regina glanced her direction briefly and then gently raised Emma's hand to her mouth and pressed a kiss over the road rash on her knuckles. "I'd never hurt you, Amelia. Despite your arrogance and insouciance, I knew you'd never betray me, and without your… assistance, years may have passed before we realized that we'd carried the wrong hearts."

Amelia shifted uncomfortably, never having viewed her liaison with Emma in such a light before. Her gaze dropped to Annabel's bright green eyes, and she smiled. "I think you like being queen so you have a reason to use words that I don't know the meaning to."

Regina acknowledged the aversion for what it was and glommed on for the ride. "That is precisely the reason. You are the sun."

"Damn straight, revolve in my glory, bitch," Amelia laughed. Regina grinned, the expression feeling foreign and out of place. She hadn't smiled since Emma woke the morning after her night terror.

Ruby appeared in the doorway a moment later with Alex on her shoulders. Amelia smirked at the glazed and serene expression on the wolf's face. Ruby and Lauren must have finished meditating early today.

"Hey, Zen Wolf, what's up?" She tossed out, more amused than worried about Ruby's dizzy glare.

"Alex wanted to see Emma," she explained and set the girl at the foot of the bed gently.

"Hi Temma," the toddler greeted quietly and gingerly placed her tiny hands atop the blanket on Emma's feet. Ruby smiled sadly, her grief breaking through the peace she'd found only minutes ago.

"Ready, your majesty?" The wolf asked her friend. Regina nodded, sucking a deep, steadying breath through her nostrils.

Emma's skin felt hot and clammy beneath her lips as she kissed her temple. She pressed her forehead and nose against her wife's face. "It's time to wake up, Darling. Stop being so troublesome, Emma Swan."

Ruby squeezed her calf gently as she kissed her daughter's face all over. Alex squealed and squirmed, trying to get away while staying away from Emma's injured body. "Ruby Lucas!" She yelled and set her hands on her hips, imitating the words and gesture Belle did ten times a day.

Ruby froze. Regina and Amelia held their breaths. The wolf glanced at the two conscious adults, instant tears in her eyes. Amelia jumped up and grabbed Annabel's bag. "Alex, want to go get some cookies from the snack machine and ruin your lunch?"

The girl nodded enthusiastically, and Ruby numbly lifted her from the bed. She kissed the side of her head as she took Amelia's hand. "Love you, Little Wolf."

The toddler kissed her cheek, "Love you, Mama Wolf," and then followed Amelia none the wiser of pain her words caused.

"She's still not answering your calls or texts?" Regina asked, rounding the foot of the bed. Ruby shook her head and accepted Regina into her arms.

"Her phone goes straight to voicemail. She hasn't turned it on yet or she's hiding somewhere without service," Ruby answered verbally.

Hugging Regina helped, but it wasn't a permanent fix. They'd spent the past three nights on the couch, partly watching The Golden Girls and partly crying most of the night and partly clinging to the other like a life preserver with small bouts of sleep in between. It was different this time than it had been in The Enchanted Forest. Regina was married, a vow she took as sacredly as the oath she'd made to uphold the values of The Council.

Not even her loyal wolf could replace Emma Swan.

Ruby was broken this time, and Regina found a small amount of peace in comforting the wolf. It was motherly or sisterly, and nothing as it had been when they'd ventured toward one another due to loneliness and helplessness.

"How am I supposed to do this, Regina?" Ruby pleaded for some sort of revelation in Regina's eyes when she pulled back.

"I don't know, Sweetheart," she answered honestly and tucked brown and red hair behind her ear. "I had you when Emma and I were parted for six months. You'll find a way, for your daughter and for yourself. You're strong, Ruby, but it's perfectly acceptable to fall apart a little bit."

She cupped her face and tipped her forehead downwards to meet her lips. The wolf clung to her shoulders almost painfully. "Granny and I will pick up the slack if we can. You don't have to be balls to wall 24/7." Regina prayed she used the vulgar expression correctly.

Ruby chuckled and then laughed outright. "I know. I know. You got skills. I shouldn't be surprised you know that phrase."

"Damn straight," Regina agreed in a very Granny-like manner. Ruby giggled again. "Let's get this over with. I'm not much in the mood for meetings this morning."

Ruby nodded and escorted The Queen through the hospital. A few nodded in respect or reverence but most simply went about their day now that Regina wasn't yelling at Amelia, something becoming a daily event. Lauren waved and then smacked Ruby's ass as they passed the nurse probably on her way to change Emma's dressings.

"Hope like hell you get Granny's open by this afternoon," she tossed over her shoulder. Applause followed the statement. Ruby smiled.

"Nurses really love their coffee and fries," she whispered for Regina's ears only. The royal smirked.

Bethany met them at the doors of Town Hall and held it open respectfully for the leader of The Council. Her bid for a seat had been denied considering her role in the destruction of lives at the behest of the last Head of Council. Stacy reluctantly retained her as an assistant at Regina's request.

"Mayor Cochran asked me to give you the addendum to the docket before you entered," Bethany explained her presence and handed Regina a paper.

"Budget redistribution?" Regina spoke aloud to herself.

"Yes, the former Council usurped a substantial portion of the city's budget. Stacy prevented folks from losing their jobs completely, but they all took a major pay cut. I'm aware that Emma hadn't received notice of the changes yet but surprised Belle never informed you."

Ruby snorted and shook her head at her absent lover. "Belle doesn't look at her paychecks. She takes them to the bank, and Cathy tells her where to sign. I make sure they always go in, but I never calculated the amounts. It's none of my business what Belle buys."

The realization slapped her in the face. Perhaps Belle's online bank statements offered a clue to her whereabouts. Later, she determined. The likelihood of Belle understanding the Internet enough to delete the account stood between the categories of 'given enough time to figure it out' and 'not bloody likely.'

Bethany cocked her head slightly and wrinkled her nose as she studied Ruby. Her sister cared nothing for money? The wolf double checked her interests without invading her privacy? A wiggle in the back of her mind told her that her father once again spoke incorrectly. Ruby hadn't brainwashed Belle in her weakened mental state after Rumpelstiltskin and Regina's emotional torture.

"It explains the drop in profit at the diner, though," Ruby continued, oblivious to Bethany's distressing realizations.

"Bethany, please run ahead and tell Stacy that I wish to address this first before the town becomes antsy. I'd like them fresh for better information absorption," Regina ordered gently, the words sounding more like a request than a command.

"You look upset, Mama Bear," Ruby said as she continued towards.

Regina blew thru the door she held for her and into the meeting hall in a huff of pissy royal. Ruby fell into step at her side. She'd become her unofficial body guard during council meetings.

"Those damn fools nearly ran my town into the ground in less than three months," Regina growled, low enough to maintain the privacy of the conversation but loud enough for her wolf ears.

An idiot stood up as Regina called the meeting to order and Ruby settled behind her, hand resting comfortably atop The Dark One's dagger. She had no intention of using it or threatening people with it. It was simply comfortable and a mistake she'd never make again.

"How can we trust The Queen when she controls Rumpelstiltskin?" Whispers tore through the crowd. Apparently, they'd never considered that possibility until now.

"Enough!" Regina ordered. "I do not control The Dark One. He is controlled by purest and strongest soul in Storybrooke. I have no interest in his powers." Regina quieted the rabble and smoothed her hand over her black pencil skirt and midnight blue silk button up.

"Are there any further concerns I might address before we begin?" Regina asked calmly and glanced around the room, including members of her court. The pinky and middle finger of her left hand rubbed at her wedding band and engagement ring but rest neutrally at her side. Ruby saw the nervous gesture, but she knew Regina better than anyone else awake in Storybrooke.

"How long are you going to be fair and kind if The Savior never wakes up?"

Ruby growled and tensed but stayed in place when Regina raised her hand. The Queen glanced around her council and then the crowd of civilians. "If Emma never awakens, I image I'll spend several weeks in an intoxicated blur. I might blow up the farm house where my mother killed herself. As long as my children live, I will never again return to evil. You begged The Savior to destroy The Evil Queen, and she has. As Emma does everything, she completed that particular task her own way."

"What made you follow Rumpelstiltskin in the first place?" Another question came from the back.

Regina sighed and glanced at Snow who nodded encouragingly. "While I accept responsibility for my actions, I also realize and accept my own victim hood. Emotional manipulation can break any mind."

"What did he do that was so horrible as to break you?" Snow asked.

"Enough," Ruby stepped forward and put her hand atop Regina's shoulder and squeezed lightly. "This has nothing to do with Regina's ability to perform this job."

Regina patted her hand and smiled gratefully at her friend. "Yes, it does, Ruby. They have a right to ask. Do you trust me?"

"Of course," Ruby said without hesitation and presented her chest, aware of what was about to happen. "We'll enchant it again once we've finished this little show."

"Just do it."

Regina snapped her fingers, summoning a potion vial. Amelia made created a counter enchantment just in case her recipe for protecting hearts fell into the hands of someone trying to kill them. The crowd gasped when Regina jerked her wolf's heart from her chest and sprinkled the potion while uttering some sort of spell.

When the beautiful bright pink organ produced an explosion of light, Regina held it up for all to see. "A heart can be used to control a person. All of you are aware of this. Jump this table, Ruby."

The wolf obeyed and stood stoically in the middle of the semi-circle.

"Relax, Snow. I'll not harm you," Regina assured her mother-in-law. Snow nodded, sure she wasn't going to like the next part one bit.

"Things you never wanted are forced upon you," Regina returned her attention to the crowd.

"Ruby, seduce Snow White," Regina ordered, fighting the bile in her throat.

Snow reluctantly accepted Ruby's numb affections and waved her hand in a circle, telling Regina to get on with it as Ruby kissed her neck. Regina took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"Rape her," Regina ordered.

The wolf slammed Snow onto the table and ripped open her sweater before anyone could blink.

"Stop, Ruby! Come here," Regina said gently, and the wolf obeyed. She cried silently as her heart slid into her chest, and Regina touched her face. "I'm sorry."

"They have to know or they'll never trust you," Ruby said. She turned to the idiot civilians that Regina wanted so desperately to love her. "When you're forced to do things that you don't want to do, eventually you'll do anything to make it stop. Believe me, I know. When I was controlled by Cora, I attempted suicide twice."

"Ruby, don't," Regina started, but the wolf held up her hand. This was her confession, not Ruby's, yet her friend willingly spared her the recounting of her many rapes at the hands of Rumpelstiltskin.

Ruby cupped Regina's cheek and continued, "The woman I attempted to escape saved me both times. You can fight heart magic, but you'll never win, not when another holds yours. Lauren was forced to use her powers to control several of you in this room. While you were in her thrall, your thoughts were your own but your body was hers to control. You couldn't even cry out."

The crowd nodded, finally understanding. "Would you do anything to stop that from ever happening again?" Regina jumped in, sparing her friend from more emotional torment.

"Are you telling us that The Dark One broke you by forcing you to have sex with him?"

Regina clenched her jaw and returned to her seat but stood facing her people. "He is not a gentle man," she said simply, allowing them to draw their own conclusions. They remained perfectly silent.

Regina swallowed the bile creeping up her throat and pushed forward. "Are there any further concerns regarding my ability to perform this job and maintain a level head. This will be the only opportunity I grant answers to such personal questions.

"Did my father?" Snow asked, still shaken from Ruby's attack but recovering quickly.

Regina sighed and met Snow's eyes with pity in her own. The child really knew nothing of what occurred within her own castle walls. "King Leopold was a very fair and patient king, but even he viewed his wife as his property," Regina answered without actually answering directly.

"You were married for 15 years," Snow murmured more to herself than Regina.

"Are you sorry?" Another question from the crowd. Regina searched for the asker in vain.

"Everyday," Regina answered simply. Her shoulders tightened painfully, and Ruby touched them in silent support. Her heart swelled with affection for the loyal wolf. She'd expected this, but it made the actuality of the moment no less painful.

"What do you regret the most?"

Regina gritted her teeth, the question requiring more political finesse than the others. It divulged information not only pertaining to herself but others as well. "Harming Belle French, holding her captive for thirty years and everything that entailed. She could have escaped as I knew nothing of her mastery of Earth Magic, but she chose to stay and endure the punishment in contrition of her actions at Breck. She has been adequately punished, I assure you." The admission made Regina squirm.

"Is that why she left?"

Ruby stepped to Regina's side and wrapped her arm around her waist. "Belle left because you turned against her," she accused the crowd and The Council who hadn't fought for her partner. "She forgave Regina because that's who she is and that's who Regina has become, someone worthy of forgiveness. If you have no other incredibly inappropriate and painful questions for my best friend, can we get the hell on with this because I would very much like to open my diner in time for lunch today."

The crowd quieted, and Regina brought the meeting to order again. There was a cheer when she restored the salary of all the city workers with unanimous support from the rest of her court. She even managed with a little of coaxing and queenly charm to get a new small tax passed to assist with community projects such as the youth center and extracurricular funding for the school.

Ruby stood watch, pride rolling off her in waves. Regina handled the entire situation professionally and stoically. She fully intended to gorge on brownies and cry into a cup of coffee watching her favorite sitcom later, but right now, Regina reveled in her element, relishing the rush and confidence and genuine joy leading The Council brought. She was built for this, and finally after decades, she ruled the way she wanted to rule.

"Finally, I'd like to close with the pardoning of Ruby Lucas and Belle French (absentia) for past crimes. You've all heard Belle's case and know of her past in relation to me. Are there any further comments or questions or can we put the subject to vote?"

"Vote," Snow said immediately.

Regina nodded at her step-daughter gratefully. "All in favor of full pardon?" Three members raised their hands, and Regina took a deep breath of faith.

"Normally, I'd act as intermediary and hear both pleas before making a decision. As I am too emotionally invested, I shall leave the vote to the people." Ruby squeaked and shifted behind her. She understood logically, but her heart felt betrayed.

Regina stood and addressed the people, "As you decide, please bear in mind and equally weigh the facts of Miss French's extraordinary actions during Pan's War as well as the battle against Cora and Zelena. All in favor of pardon for a crime committed 35 years ago for which Belle French saw fit to punish herself at the hands of The Evil Queen, Regina Mills, please stand," Regina presented the vote in such a manner that favored Belle's case without compromising her position.

Regina slumped forward and caught her weight on shaking arms when almost everyone stood up in Belle's defense. Tears sprang to her eyes. She'd believed and made the right decision and had been rewarded. Belle was safe when she returned. The salty liquid trickled shamelessly down her cheeks as she straightened and addressed her council.

"The public has made known their opinion, and I vote in favor of full pardon on behalf of Belle French (absentia) for her role in The Massacre of Breck," Regina stated, voice clear and confident despite the quiver of tears their.

"Regina!" Lauren burst through the doors of the meeting hall. "Sorry, you turned your phone off. She's awake," Lauren finished breathlessly.

Regina jerked, glanced around at her people and then back at Lauren. "Are we really going to shut down Granny's to persecute Ruby for being a wolf?"

Some chuckled at the absurdity of the situation thanks to Regina's wording. "All in favor of full pardon, raise your paws," Regina said, her heart soaring. She'd made the right choice, and she'd been rewarded.

_Thank you. _She said silently to the higher power she'd begun praying to for some unknown reason. Two opposed, four agreed.

"Full pardon granted to Ruby Lucas with the condition she must wear her cape during the full moon, except during the time of her transformation, until absolute control is obtained in human form. Meeting adjourned," Regina spouted quickly as she, Snow and Ruby rounded the table.

Lauren met them at the end of the chairs and grabbed Regina's hand. They disappeared in a swirl of purple. The came together in the hall outside Emma's room and collectively choked on the chalky, apple flavored smoke they'd inhaled during the teleportation.

Amelia met them at the door and held her hands up, stopping their progress. A nurse handed Annabel to Lauren as she was instructed. No one knew how Regina might have reacted to the news they dreaded delivering. Ruby picked Alex up for comfort and settled her on a hip, sensing a huge boot about to drop kick Regina in the heart.

"Stop, Regina, wait. We've had to sedate her slightly. There's been…" Amelia stopped when her voice broke. "An unexpected development."

"What?" Regina demanded, anger covering her fear.

"She…" Amelia swallowed and glanced at Eva who stepped forward.

"She thinks she's 21 and living in Texas. It's called Retrograde Amnesia. She doesn't remember the last ten years of her life."


	15. Can I Love You?

Thank you for the reviews, My Sweets. Thanks for taking the ride!

Songs: One Step up by Bruce Springsteen, Heartbreak Heard Around the World by Jacob Latimore

* * *

Regina sat by Emma's bed and stared at the wall. Her migraine surpassed severely uncomfortable and sprinted directly towards slow and excruciating death by nausea ten minutes ago. Annabel nursed at her breast unenthusiastically, almost like she felt the tension of the moment. Ruby sat on the other side of Emma's bed and distracted Alex by reading a book to her. Amelia, Eva and Lauren hovered by the door, prepared to act should Regina faint again.

"How many times do I have to make you fall in love with me, Emma Swan?" Regina murmured, drawing everyone's attention. They were the first words she'd uttered since Lauren rubbed those horrendous salts beneath her nose.

"What the fuck are you on about, Lady?" Emma mumbled through the sedative. It wore off faster on Emma than usual, as it had the day she awoke from her coma after being shot.

"Are you a social worker? That why there are kids everywhere?" Emma lifted one hand, winced, dropped it to the bed with a _thump_ and a flop. "I hate kids."

Regina jerked, dislodging her nipple from Annabel's mouth beneath the blanket. Alex looked at one of her guardians with a hurt expression. She understood more than they gave her credit for, smart just like her Mama. Ruby closed the book and kissed her daughter's hair, wishing she could have saved her the pain of that comment.

"Regina, I'm going to take Alex to the diner. Want to go see Granny, Baby?" Ruby asked and leaned her head to the side to see the girl's face.

Alex shook her head. "I want Mama," she said with a whine and a sniffle. The day had reached her normal nap time. She buried her face in Ruby chest, tiny fist clutching her Wolf's shirt tightly.

"Go, Wolf Pup. Alex needn't suffer more," Regina urged her friend, communicating with her eyes that the children came first.

Snow finally moved from her hermit spot in the corner, reminding everyone of her presence. "Regina, would you like me to take Annabel? I'll go to the mansion and meet Henry and Katy when they get home from school."

"Who the hell are you?" Emma griped, forcing her unfocused eyes to the new voice.

Her harsh tone held nothing of the woman they'd all learned to love in her vulgar eloquence and child-like prodding for reassurance. That woman transformed into an angry woman in the later years of her adolescence. She looked like their Emma, bore the scars of her heroism, but this irate attitude spoke of the years of trial and error that eventually brought Emma to woman they'd all fallen in love with.

"My name is Mary Margaret. I'm a friend," she answered. No way was Emma able to handle the dynamics of her family tree right now.

"Hah!" Emma grabbed her stomach and touched her chest in pain. "Fuck, fuck. Son of a whore." She relaxed after a moment, an amused expression on her face. "They sent a nun and a social worker? How close to dying did I come anyway? And why the hell hasn't anyone called Casey. She's my emergency contact."

Regina bit her lip and bowed her head. No one else but she and Ruby really knew of Casey and the tenuous relationship between drugs and loyalty she and Emma shared throughout Emma's twenties. She needed Amelia and Archie's guidance right now. She ignored Emma for the moment.

"That would be wonderful. There's about a day's worth of milk in the refrigerator," Regina tucked her breast into her shirt and relinquished her daughter to her grandmother/step-sister before buttoning the garment. She closed her eyes against that particular thought. Fuck her family tree.

Snow nodded. "Don't worry about the children. David and I can stay as long as we're needed."

Ruby held Alex's thighs and rubbed the girl's back as she cried gently into her shoulder. "Granny or I will take Annabel tomorrow morning until you get home from school."

Regina smiled weakly at her family. "Thank you. I love you," Regina kissed Ruby's cheek, lingering far too long for Emma's mouth to retain control.

"Am I going to see some tongue action or you gonna to leave me hangin'?" The injured woman whooped, and Regina took a steadying breath.

"Don't kill her," Ruby whispered, and Regina nodded.

"Kiss the nun! Do it. Do it." Emma taunted. Regina ignored her immature wife. How was she supposed to do this, make this Emma love her again?

Would she love this Emma?

Her body shuddered involuntarily at the thought, and she focused on Snow. "Please have David bring our wedding album," Regina glanced at Snow and then Amelia who nodded slightly. It was a starting point, tangible proof of Emma's new life.

Snow tried to smile, but it missed her eyes. She exited behind Ruby. No one anticipated Emma's surprise, except maybe Amelia, but her lips remained sewn shut about the possibility until her friend woke. Heart magic couldn't fix this. Ruby's magic healing wolf elixir proved useless. Her wolf wasn't as strong here as in Neverland. Regina wondered often if she created the antidote or if she simply believed hard enough that it worked.

Emma winced, pulling their attention. "Doc, can I have some pain meds?"

Amelia shook her head and stepped beside Emma. "I can give you Ibuprofen. It will help with inflammation."

Emma's forehead creased with attitude and screamed 'Are you freakin' serious?'

Amelia held up her hand, halting the protest in Emma's throat. "I'm your sponsor, Kid." It wasn't technically a lie. "Do you want it or not?"

Emma crossed her arms, winced as the incision from her drain tube on her side and on her chest pulled. She closed her eyes and nodded. "What the hell happened to me anyway?" She asked, but Amelia had already walked away.

Regina reclaimed her seat and massaged her temples. "Lauren, Eva, could either you possibly locate an Excedrin for me?"

The couple nodded, taking the hint for what it was. Regina wanted to be alone with her wife, to forge a bond of trust and respect with this new personality emerging from the woman she'd married. It was an impossible situation, and their hearts hurt for their friends.

When the room fell silent and empty, Regina spoke, "You were in a car accident. My name is Regina Swan."

"Swan? Are you like my mother? I thought that was just a name they gave me in the home. Oh god, are you the first social worker I had?" Emma blurted, apprehension in those clear green eyes. If Emma's legs possessed the ability to run, she'd have been to Boston by now.

"I'm not a social worker, Emma."

Emma scoffed, "Coulda fooled me. You look like a social worker," her eyes ran over Regina's outfit, took in her straight back, and air of entitlement that constantly surrounded Regina whether she actually felt that way or not. "A social worker living on mommy and daddy's trust fund. Seriously? At this stage in your life?"

Regina took the outburst in stride and raised Emma's hand, presenting it to it's owner. "I'm your wife." She held up her matching ring atop the engagement ring Emma had custom made. Regina smiled, remembering the awkward proposal after they'd had sex in Belle's library in the mansion.

Green eyes flitted back and forth between the two rings. What the hell had she done? Emma Swan never dreamed of marriage or commitment. She had Casey. That was enough. "But you're old!" She blurted, unable to say more.

Regina cleared her throat. If Emma only knew how old, she'd have completely flipped. "I'm only eight years your senior, Darling."

Emma sputtered and then winced as another wave of pain crashed into her. "You're almost 30?" She croaked, clearly disgusted at herself for marrying someone so past their prime. Regina almost laughed, probably would have if pain hadn't etched so deeply on Emma's face.

"I'll be forty in July, which is in two months," Regina explained patiently. "You've lost the last ten years due to a traumatic brain injury, Emma. That's is the purpose of the gauze on your head."

Emma's hand flew to the patch, and Regina's pulled them away with a firm but gentle touch. "Don't touch it, Darling. You might injure yourself further. You've only just had brain surgery 72 hours ago."

Emma obediently lowered her hands back to her sides, surprising Regina. Good, early twenties Emma wasn't suicidal or completely reckless. She worried her lip and glanced around the room, eyes focusing on the covered window. "I'm not in Texas, am I?"

Regina shook her head sadly. "Storybrooke, Maine."

"This is a joke, right? Storybrooke? Really? Where the hell is Casey?" Emma scooted around the bed, looking for hidden cameras or any other recording devices.

"You are aware that I'm not gay, right?" Emma mocked whispered as though it were some huge secret.

Regina smirked and held her gaze with demanding eyes and a raised brow. "You are for me, Darling, and at least one other woman, but she also has black hair, dark eyes, and a voluptuous waist that drives you insane. It didn't come as a shock you found her attractive."

"Soooo, I what? Had an affair?" Emma chuckled and studied her ring. "Whoops."

Regina took a patient breath and closed her eyes, "Not in so many words, Darling. I consented to the meeting."

"Huh." Emma stilled and stared for a lingering moment. Her eyes squinted, and Regina remembered that they'd removed her contacts during surgery. "This is a joke, right?"

Any second now, Casey jumped out from her hiding spot and laughed hysterically. She must have overdosed again and ended up in the hospital. Casey created this disturbingly elaborate joke to teach her a lesson. Had she been the first to slip and use this time?

"Emma," Regina started and then shook her head, not able to tell her beautiful wife about Casey's death yet. "First, would you like me to have someone bring your glasses so that you might actually see me? Second, ask me anything. I know quite a bit about your life."

Emma hummed, playing along. "Fine," she huffed. A nurse appeared with her pill and she took it hastily, in more pain than she cared to admit. "What's my favorite food?"

Regina hummed with a smile. "Close race between cheeseburgers and chocolate chip cookies."

"Okay, too obvious," Emma muttered, not quite believing yet. Regina studied this carefree Emma. Even when she appeared in Storybrooke a little over three years ago, a jaded anguish had infiltrated her heart. The corners of her mouth twitched in a smile, and she allowed it.

"What the fuck are you grinning at?" Emma sniped, uncomfortable in the scrutiny of those dark eyes. Why the hell was she suddenly nervous what this woman thought?

"I've just…" Regina waved her hand. Tears spilled onto her cheeks, and she wiped them quickly. "I've never seen this side of you. The Emma I married spoke often of responsibility and duty and willingly sacrificed herself to help others. I've never seen you so… free," Regina finished in a breathy whisper.

Emma laughed, wincing through the lingering chuckles, "I don't give a shit about helping people. It usually kicks you in the teeth when you aren't looking."

Emma glanced around again, "Seriously, Casey, enough. This bitch is the best actress I've ever seen. She needs a damn award or something, but I'm done with this." She waited. Nothing. "No? Okay, ummmm, another question. I'm sensing this is the game."

Regina rested her elbow beside Emma's thigh and propped fist beneath her chin, waiting patiently. "Favorite movie? God, this feels like a first date in reverse," Emma groused and lowered her bed slightly, creating more distance between her face and those piercing eyes.

Regina started. "I don't know. We don't watch much television. I assume from the few you've chosen that it is some sort of buddy cop movie. Perhaps the one where they continuously say they're 'too old for this shit.' What was the name?"

"Lethal Weapon," Emma grinned, despite the nagging dread growing in her mind. Regina's answer seemed genuine. No one pretended that well, did they? "Fine, that was too easy, too. Ummmm," she picked at the scabs on her face, and Regina patiently stilled the hand.

"Stop picking. You'll make the scarring worse," Regina chided, feeling more like a mother in that moment than a wife. Relief filled her when Emma dropped her hands with a huff.

"What's my favorite poem? Casey doesn't know that," Emma announced proudly, chin raised at her perceived deception.

Regina chuckled. She was still Emma, sort of. Somewhere beneath that bluster and bravado and attitude lay a sensitive broken, soul that Regina intended to uncover. "How do I Love Thee by Elizabeth Barret Browning."

Emma stared. Regina fidgeted, picking at her thumbnail.

"Your favorite female name is Annabel," she continued, uncomfortable with the silence of the moment. "It took months after learning that fact to decipher that you picked up the name from an Edgar Allen Poe story, which I have yet to read, though you've assured me many times that I'd enjoy it."

"Poem," Emma blurted. "Annabel Lee is a poem, not a story," she swallowed and looked away as icy dread gripped her heart and tears stung the back of her eyes. "Annabel is the name of your daughter."

She'd begun to believe the truth of her reality.

Regina touched her hand with feathery fingertips. Emma flinched but hadn't pulled away. Regina covered her cold hand with her warmer one. Emma's hands always felt cold, probably a circulation issue leftover from the extensive drug use. Nothing made this feel better, but Regina determined to try. Emma lay perfectly still, except for the rapid swallowing and blinking. A perfect, mutilated statue of a woman perhaps lost to them forever.

"How can I make this easier, Emma? Tell me how to help you," Regina whispered into the dim, ghostly quiet room.

Emma swallowed again. "I think I want you to leave me alone for a little while."

Regina nodded and stood. "Of course, Darling. I'll be just down the hall when you're ready. Call your nurse, and she'll retrieve me." She squeezed her hand once and reluctantly released it.

Eva, Amelia, and Lauren perked when she exited the room. They hovered by the nurses' station, clearly interested in the interaction but willing to wait if Regina wasn't ready to speak. She jerked her head towards the tiny waiting room, and they followed. Lauren handed her a bottle of water and white oblong pill. She slumped into a chair before swallowing the medicine.

"So?" Amelia poked her first. Of course, she did.

"She remembers absolutely nothing, but I think she's beginning to believe us. She's…" Regina dropped her forehead to the hammock of skin between her thumb and forefinger. "She's different, but I definitely see pieces of Emma's personality."

Eva slid a book onto her lap. "David dropped that for you a few minutes ago." Regina nodded and smoothed her hand over the tan leather of the front cover of their wedding album without looking.

"Amelia, how long will this last?" Regina asked hesitantly. She didn't want to know. She really didn't. She'd only just helped Emma recover her memories a little over three months ago. "I can't do this again."

Amelia knelt in front of her and touched her knees. "Yes, you can. And you will. You just got the air knocked out of you a little bit."

"How long, Amelia?" Regina demanded, voice rasping with irritation and unspoken threats.

"I don't know. No one knows. Retrograde Amnesia is still under massive scrutiny because so little is known about the cause and the creation of new neural pathways, but it's mostly related to brain injuries. Emma has damage in her right temporal lobe, which directly affects semantic memory. Without that, information isn't being retrieved properly from the hippocampus. I'd have to do more tesst to determine the severity, but…"

"Amelia," Lauren said gently and touched her shoulder. "I'm a nurse and I still have no idea what you're saying. English, please."

"Right," she took a deep breath and started over. "The temporal lobe, here," she pointed to her own head. "controls a lot of different things. Organization, categorization of facts and words and the meanings associated with them. The left side deals directly with other things, public facts, reading, writing, speech. This tells me that the more Emma heals, the more I suspect we need to be prepared for confabulations.

"Those are false memories. It may be something as large as Emma snagging a brief memory of something, such as having sex with me, and then her brain fills in the gaps with a story to help her conscious mind make sense of the information. They're not lies, technically, because she will truly believe them. So, we need to help her figure out the truth if we catch her in one."

"And the smaller ones?" Regina asked, trying to make sense of everything.

"Smaller confabulations might consist of anything and everything. For example, she may not remember that she ate biscuits and gravy for breakfast because of the temporal lobe and short term memory damage, but her mind associates breakfast with a memory of having eggs and bacon. She may believe that she actually had eggs and bacon for breakfast that morning because her brain can't determine the timeline of the memories."

"Okay, that's easy enough to keep track of," Lauren said.

Amelia shook her head, "Not as easy as you might think. I'll have to do more research and speak with Archie, but for right now, I think perhaps we should all refrain from correcting her, except Regina."

The witch jerked upright, fear evident in her eyes. Amelia squeezed her knees and tried to smile encouragingly. "She's bonded with you. It might not seem like it right now, but that's going to mean more in the long run than you think. You're straightforward, Regina, you don't hide the harsh truths like we all did until you arrived. She's started trusting you and will continue to do so through that honesty."

Regina nodded and dropped her head to her hand once more. She could do this for Emma. "What about the memory association you spoke of? What does that mean?"

"Oh," Amelia stood and sat beside Regina in one motion. She'd broken through the blind panic for now. "It means that she may have issues recalling the names of certain objects but associate them with something else in that category. For example, she may ask you to hand her a bottle of water, but may not remember the word bottle. Instead she may ask for a cup because they are both associated with instruments used for drinking. Make sense?"

"Yes, thank you," Regina whispered on the verge of tears. Her emotions lingered between helplessness, fear, and extreme anger at Belle for leaving. She knew it was irrational, but it helped cover the other seemingly weaker emotions.

"Is this permanent?" The question the of day.

Everyone looked expectantly at the neurosurgeon. Amelia took a deep breath. "In most cases, no, but I cannot say with absolute certainty that she will recover her memories. I can say that she'll probably never remember the accident. The few minutes before the trauma generally remain lost forever, which is a small blessing in this case."

"But she will recover? At least partially?" Regina asked, begging Amelia to give her hope.

"I'm sorry but I don't know, Regina," she admitted with a profound sadness that made the other three women ease up slightly.

"Most people do recover at least partial memories. It usually comes in random spurts. She may remember being a bail bondsperson clearly and every single detail associated with that but nothing else about her life during that time," Amelia spurted, loosing herself in the moment. She wanted to be excited about the chance to observe the recovery of this particular phenomenon, but the possibility remained that they'd lost Emma forever.

She sobered and dropped her gaze to the floor. "She may wake up tomorrow and be perfectly fine. It might take weeks, sometimes it takes years for the brain to develop another neural pathway in order to retrieve the information."

Amelia ran trembling fingers through her hair and slumped in defeat. "I don't know. No one knows how quickly the brain will recover."

Lauren touched her shoulder, and Amelia almost recoiled from the comforting energy flowing from the succubus' hand. She calmed her, clearing a path for the flow of information. "It's okay, Amelia. The brain is unpredictable at best."

"How much should I tell her?" Regina asked suddenly and raised her head once more. "I'm fairly certain she's puzzled together that Annabel is her daughter, which is why I am sitting here instead of in there. She asked for a moment alone."

Eva answered, giving Amelia a break, "Use your discretion. You know Emma better than any of us. You understand her body language and speech patterns. Those won't have changed in the last ten years, not enough to be unrecognizable to you."

Amelia nodded, "Exposing her to facts about her life will help her understand it as she begins recovering. There's still quite a bit of swelling, and I suspect when that goes down, we will see a little of our Emma. Evidence supports the exposure to the patient's current life, pictures and people, routines. It does 'jog' the memories, but it doesn't restore them. Understand?"

Regina nodded, reaching the end of her emotional rope for the absorption of new knowledge. "I think so. The confabulations?" Amelia nodded. "The more we inform her of her life, the more likely they are to happen on a larger scale, correct?" Amelia nodded again.

Regina nodded and chewed on the information as she searched for the next question. There were hundreds, but none formed on her lips. The sound of pattering feet pulled their attention to the hallway. Eva and Lauren rushed out first and followed the nurses. Amelia followed when she realized their destination as Emma's room.

Regina felt faint as she followed at a much slower pace. She caught words and phrases, but nothing passed solidly through her brain. "Tore stitches." Regina leaned against the wall. "Got out of bed." She slid down the wall. "Blood." She clutched her wedding album. "Scans now."

Hands grabbed her shoulders as she started hyperventilating. She opened them to find Amelia's dark eyes full of compassion staring at her. "Eva is getting some scans. She thinks she just tore a couple of stitches, but she wants to make sure nothing tore inside. She tried to get out of bed and fell. Her head is fine. There would have been bleeding if she'd bumped the soft spot, but Eva is taking a scan of that, too, just to be safe."

Regina nodded gratefully, as the world came back into focus. "She tried to run. She got scared," Regina said stupidly, not sure of the actual meaning of the words falling from her lips.

"I know," Amelia said and pulled Regina to her feet, securing an arm tightly around her waist.

She directed Regina back to the waiting room and lowered her into the uncomfortable vinyl couch. Regina numbly slumped into her chest when Amelia tugged gently on her shoulder. She winced as her own surgical area pinched but ignored it as she hooked her chin over her former mistress' head.

"I've got ya, Regina. We'll get you and Emma through this," she whispered softly and then fell silent. Regina never cared for platitudes while being comforted.

* * *

_I watch the gurney pass by with a hint of disgust. How had she survived that crash? The potions woman holds the sobbing queen as though she deserves comfort. It makes me sick. They all make me sick. Don't they know what she did? Can't those around them see that they all deserve to die for supporting her and loving her and forgiving her? _

_The Council and their idiotic power play. Had they waited a few more weeks, I'd have broken all of them. Anger flares in my chest, and I find the reprieve from emptiness soothing. They took credit for my work. They must pay, too, and they will while our four… excuse me, three heroines settle into a false sense of security. _

_I must bide my time now, wait for the right move. I could have it all, my revenge and Rumpelstiltskin's dagger, too. I'd be unstoppable. I'll take The Council from The Queen. And the wolf's diner, her daughter, all their bastard abominations. The Savior only needs one final flick on the skull to finish her, though the delicious torment of her wife's helplessness inspires a tingle of giddiness in my chest. _

_She deserves to suffer. They all deserve to suffer. The Council messed up everything. I had them all right where I wanted them. The doctors were incapacitated momentarily. The librarian was condemned to a fate no better than a rabid animal, death by lynch mob. It was perfect. _

_They ruined everything. _

_No matter. I shall emerge victorious. They believe themselves safe. They think The Council responsible for their recent "accidents." A laugh bubbles in my chest, and I hold it in, knowing it inappropriate given the current situation and my location. They must be deceived. And they shall be._

_My little helper is so good, such a brilliant actress. Perhaps she deserves a gentle touch this night, a reminder of the love she believes me capable of. I'll dispose of her after I've had my revenge. Perhaps when the librarian returns. She must die, too. _

_Poor little heartbroken whore. Who will love your hideous face when your wolf is murdered? When your friends and family are broken beyond the capacity to love you for abandoning them to cope with this silent threat alone? _

_Yes, The Council screwed everything up for the moment, but I shall enact my revenge. _

_I shall destroy them all for what she did. _


	16. The Price of Magic

Warning: Fluff galore… it made me a little sick, not kidding. I might have to kill someone just to recover. If fluff also makes you homicidal, run as fast as you can.

Songs: Accidentally in Love by Counting Crows, The One by The Backstreet Boys

* * *

_**6 Days After Belle's Departure**_

"How's her temperament this morning?" Regina asked at the nurse's station. A yell down the hall answered the question, and she moved away from the desk and towards her difficult wife.

Ruby called around midnight the previous night and volunteered to stay with a fussy Emma after trying to several hours to get a fussy Alex down without Belle. Regina ended up cradling the girl against her breasts, which closely resemble Belle's now that some of the swelling from pregnancy had gone down, and placed her hair in the tiny, searching fist. She drifted off eventually.

Ruby opened the diner, leaving Emma unattended by a family member until now. Apparently, Emma was barely a step up from her daughter in terms of whining, but much less painful to deal with. They laughed about it this morning when Regina dropped the two youngest children at the diner. Thankfully, Snow would be available to pick them up after school.

Regina glared at the nurses as she entered the room. "What is the meaning of this?" Emma's feet were strapped and one of her hands. Several nurses held the other, forcing it into a strap before anyone looked up to the wrathful brown eyes of The Queen a.k.a Emma Swan's very doting wife.

"I tried to get up to pee and almost fell again," Emma said, the fear evident in her voice.

Regina stepped forward and removed the straps about her ankles. The nurses recoiled in horror as their work was undone in a moment. She glanced around the room, noticed the bodies moving discreetly towards Emma's hands, shielding them from sight, hoping The Queen forgot.

"Unless your name is Eva Zambrano, Lauren Danes or Amelia Shepherd, I suggest you get the hell away from my wife before I have you all arrested for assault. You cannot strap down a patient simply because she refuses to call for your assistance. Perhaps if you performed your jobs properly, you'd have been present for her desire to relieve herself."

A woman stepped forward, and Regina recognized her as the head nurse of the ICU, a wing which Emma no longer needed. Eva kept her here for the isolation and quiet. Regina sensed defiance in the woman's energy. Her spine straightened.

"Do not test me," she warned darkly, her voice deep and dark and dangerous. Even Emma stared in slight fear combined with fascination. Who the hell had she married?

The nurse returned to the straps, and Regina snapped. "Out!" They jerked and scrambled away, tails tucked and ears pressed tightly against their scalps.

Regina slammed the door after them and took a steadying breath before turning to face Emma. She crossed in a tip-tap of heels and leaned over her wife, undoing the first strap and then the second before sitting. Without thinking, she lifted Emma's hand and pressed a sweet kiss to the inside of Emma's wrist.

"So, uhh, people usually do what you say?" Emma asked nervously, uncomfortable with the show of affection.

Regina pulled her lips away, eyes flying open. "My apologies, Emma." She retracted her hands and folded them in her lap.

"S'okay," Emma shrugged. Regina married her after all. She'd seen the pictures, nearly puked when she realized that she'd said her vows on her knees because she was too overcome with emotions to stand. This woman broke Emma Swan.

"No," Regina countered. "Please don't do that." She touched two fingertips to the back of Emma's hand. "I want you to tell me if I do something that makes you uncomfortable. I'm going to slip, Emma, but I'm trying so very much to respect your boundaries right now."

Emma nodded and took a deep breath. "The kissing is weird." Regina nodded.

"I'll try to do better," she pulled away and leaned into the chair, crossing her legs.

The huge black pump dangled from her toes, and Emma followed the perfect, feminine leg until it met the hem of the black pencil skirt that ended just above her knees while standing but now presented a healthy piece of thigh. Regina hadn't lied when she informed Emma of her sexual attraction. Her gaze worshipped the slight roll of skin beneath the dark purple silk dress shirt and trailed the button line to the slight cleavage on display beneath two popped buttons at the top. When she met Regina's dark gaze, noticed her slightly parted lips, Emma blushed and averted her eyes.

"Sorry," she muttered, knowing she'd been caught.

Regina smirked and slid a hand over the knee resting near her shoulder. "I'm quite used to your eyes upon me, Darling. Enjoy at your own discretion."

Emma jerked at the sexuality practically dripping from that purring, sensual voice. "Uhh, right, married and all that."

Regina smirked again. Shy, timid Emma partially amused her and partially made her want to rip the woman's hospital gown from her body and corrupt her wife all over again. A piece of brown leather caught her attention, and she leaned forward. Emma tensed but said nothing when Regina pulled their wedding album from beneath the scratchy white blanket.

"Ruby and I looked at it last night," Emma explained, keeping to herself that she'd poured over the photos for hours after the other woman nodded off.

"Have you questions?" Regina asked patiently.

Emma bit her lip and picked at her blanket. "How did we meet? I asked Red, but she told me to ask you." Emma closed her eyes and growled at herself. "Ruby, her name is Ruby. I keep wanting to call her Red for some reason."

Regina smiled but steered away from the topic of fairy tales for the moment. The next few minutes proved absolutely unpredictable. "Our son, Henry. He's," Regina cleared her throat softly, stalling. "He's the child you gave birth to in prison."

Emma's mouth dropped open, green eyes searching beneath those ridiculous thick black frames. Regina allowed her a moment to adjust to the information. "Three years ago, he decided to find you. He stole Mary Margaret's credit card from her wallet and rode a bus to Boston by himself. You drove him home, and…" Regina smiled, remembering those first tenuous months. "You never left."

Emma swallowed, tears swimming in eyes no longer focusing. "Regina, I…"

Regina squeezed her hand. "Of course. Please call the nurse to retrieve me without getting out of bed unaided again. Stubbornness apparently comes naturally."

Emma offered a cocky smile, and Regina left the room without further comment, easing the latch until it clicked. She turned in time to find Eva stalking up the hallway. She was the chief after all, and nurse what's her name who had been rude since the moment Emma landed in her wing was about to get reamed.

"You did what now?" Eva said coldly, calm, calculated, never one to yell.

"Did your mistress call you?" The nurse fought back, revealing the stick that currently resided in her rectum.

"No, your staff called me. You can't strap down a patient who isn't a threat to herself or others. You do understand that Regina and Emma are completely within their rights to charge you with assault?" Eva fumed.

"We won't," Regina supplied, stepping into the conversation. "But I'd like to open an investigation of this entire floor, reexamine old complaints."

Eva wrapped her hands around her hips and nodded at Regina. "I agree. As I recall, there have been quite a few. I'm requesting an official suspension without pay until the investigation either redeems or condemns your behavior."

"You have The Council's full support, and may conduct the investigation as you see fit, Dr. Zambrano," Regina offered, feeling just a tiny bit vindicated at the woman's huff of disbelief. Okay, maybe a lot.

"Patricia, I'd like you take over in Martha's absence. Mrs. Swan will be either moved to the surgical floor this afternoon or released depending on the results of her scans." Regina started when a younger woman stepped forward and nodded, a slight terror in her eyes.

"Are you sure, Eva? There are women here with a lot more experience than me," she protested and tucked her dark blonde hair behind her ear.

Eva squeezed her shoulder, closed her eyes, and smiled. Everyone glanced around in surprise. Eva Zambrano touched no one except Lauren and patients. "I'm sure, Patricia. Regina, I'll return in one hour with the results of Emma's scans. If she wants to put on clothes, that's okay."

She nodded to Regina and then strode away confidently. The clerical assistant stood and pointed at the door with a nod. Regina tried to smile at the woman and managed a grin. Regina took a moment to absorb the new energy of the floor. It calmed and soothed instead of setting her teeth on edge. Patricia stood at the station and answered questions patiently as they came and familiarized herself with every single case file, a stack of at least seven or eight. Eva knew her nurses.

With a deep breath, she rapped the door with light knuckles and waited for Emma's response. The injured woman sat at the edge of her bed and clung to her IV stand. "I never made it to the bathroom before."

"Oh," Regina blurted stupidly and closed the door. Emma wanted her help? "Would you prefer a nurse?"

Emma shook her head. "Amelia said I might get out of here today. I'm assuming that you will be my constant caregiver since Casey is MIA, so I need to get used to you touching me."

With trepidation, Regina stepped forward and stood before her wife. Emma looked up at her with that ridiculous gauze wrap around her head and tiny red marks from the cuts. They shouldn't scar badly. Her green eyes seemed brighter from the remnants of tears she shed only moment before.

"Why won't anyone tell me where she is?"

"Emma," Regina breathed. Her hands raised, almost touching her face, dropped to her sides and clenched into fists.

"No, I want to know. Whatever it is. I can't take not knowing anymore. She wasn't in a single picture at our wedding. Where is she?" Emma asked, sounding 21 as she searched for answers like a lost child.

"She died, Emma," Regina said point blank. "She overdosed a few months before Henry found you, but you only found out that night."

Emma blinked rapidly as her face fell towards the floor. "Three years ago?" She whined, fighting the tears constricting her throat.

"Yes." Regina fought the urge to hold Emma and swallowed her own emotions.

"Regina," Emma whispered, and Regina jerked when a hand grasped her waist, seeking comfort. Emma pulled slightly and Regina stepped between her knees without further prompting.

A sigh seeped slowly from her parted lips when Emma's left cheek pressed against her breasts. Intuitively, one hand slid around Emma's neck and the other her shoulders, avoiding the surgical area on the right side of her head. Emma finally initiated physical contact, and it was the most glorious feeling in the world. Guilt immediately followed.

Emma suffered while she found comfort and pleasure in her wife's touch.

"You're not alone, Emma. You are surrounded by people who love you," Regina comforted her wounded lover.

"I'm not the person they love," Emma hiccupped and shuddered, confessing her fears in a moment of weakness.

Regina rubbed soothing circles on her back, completely lost. Inspiration struck, and Regina pushed her back gently, just enough to meet her eyes. "When you proposed to me, you said something that I always think of when I find myself in a brand new situation." She wiped at the tears and memorized the feel of Emma's strong arms around her hips.

"I was experiencing a bit of a personality crisis at the time. You pointed that out to me the day after, and I was terrified you'd changed your mind. Then you said that you wanted to spend the rest of your life changing with me, rediscovering me and uncovering things you never knew. I'm saying those words to you now, Sweetheart, because you will never be the same as you were, not even after you've recovered your memories.

"You are forever changed by this experience, as I am," Regina chuckled nostalgically. "I simply never imagined those words to be so literal."

Emma grinned at the softness in the woman she realized had a large capacity for coldness. "The day I woke up. You asked how many times you had to make me fall in love with you. We've been here before, then?"

"Yes," Regina nodded, allowing a tear to drip onto her cheek. "This will be the third time I've been forced to chase you down, Miss Swan. It's quite tiresome."

Emma's eyebrows shot skyward and then lowered as a smirk appeared on her face. "I thought we were married," she teased.

"Mmm, the extra syllable ruins the effect," Regina shrugged.

"You're hair is too long," Emma blurted unexpectedly. Regina steadied herself from the whiplash and followed.

"Explain. It became this length at your urging," Regina reminded her wife.

"Oh," Emma dropped her gaze and then raised it with mischief in her eyes. "Well, older me is an idiot. You're far too classy to have hair this long. Don't get me wrong, it's beautiful, but it makes you look too young. It doesn't suit you. Maybe just above the shoulders?" Emma said as a question instead of a statement, doubting herself for a moment.

Regina licked her lips, tasting the tart plum color there. "Classy it is."

"Oh, No! That is so not what I meant," Emma looked genuinely horrified that Regina so easily agreed to change her appearance for her. "Geesh, is older me abusive?"

Regina laughed, a full throaty, melodic sound that transfixed Emma. She started when those brown eyes returned to hers. "Emma Swan, you could not be farther from abusive if you tried."

"Oh," Emma dropped her gaze, suddenly uncomfortable with the physical closeness.

Regina cupped her cheek and brought their eyes together once more. "You are worthy of this, Darling. Of me and our family."

"You're creepy."

Regina recoiled slightly, head and neck jerking with the odd statement. "That's a new description."

"I have to…" Emma stopped, confusion evident in her eyes. "I have to…"

"Pee?" Regina supplied. Emma nodded, jaw clenched in concentration as she forced her brain to remember the word and its meaning. It meant nothing to her.

Regina touched her face again, pulling Emma from her horror. "Amelia explained this to you, Darling. Word association may come and go as you heal. You are processing quite a bit of new information, and your brain simply cannot keep up. It's okay."

Emma nodded. She trusted Regina to keep her upright as she wobbled to the bathroom. The pain only pinched and burned, an irritation more than anything, but her muscles felt weak and shaky. Regina hovered just outside the door.

"Emma, since you're up and moving, would you care to change into real clothes?"

The door swung open with a bang, and Regina jumped. "Yes, for the love of lollipops, please put me in something that covers my ass."

"Lollipops?" Was Emma being weird or confusing her words again? This Emma presented a much bigger challenge in that department than her Emma.

Emma shrugged, "They wouldn't let us cuss in the homes."

"Ah," Regina helped her back to the bed and retrieved the change of clothes from the closet. She controlled her breathing as she knelt and slid Emma's feet into the grey jogging pants. Emma snagged the hem when it reached her knees and held the garment in place until Regina slid her into socks and tennis shoes.

"Eva said no bra yet," Regina said quietly, eyes carefully turned from her wife's naked torso. Emma had never been shy.

"Regina," Emma breathed. Regina held out the baggy band shirt that Emma often wore to bed and focused on the black television hanging on the wall.

"Regina, look at me," Emma tried again.

"Emma, please, just put your shirt on," Regina pleaded, two seconds from coming undone.

"You don't like my scars?" came the quiet, broken response that Regina hadn't anticipated. Emma wasn't playing a game, she sought reassurance.

"I love your scars." Brown and green met for a heated stare. "I'm incapable of controlling my hands when they are on display."

"Will you," her voice cracked. She cleared her throat. "Will you tell me what they're from? It's okay if you touch them. I've just been wondering, and it's driving me nuts."

A long breath pulled through Regina's nostrils. She nodded once and allowed her eyes to drift downwards. Emma studied every single emotion dancing across the stage of Regina's face and eyes. It took her breath away, how much this woman loved her, made her want to love Regina back.

"This," she brushed one finger over the tiny, round hole just below her belly button on the right side. "Before we were lovers, we acted as Sheriff and Mayor of Storybrooke. You stepped between me and a deranged citizen trying to shoot me."

When Regina trailed that same finger over the incision above her belly button, gooseflesh erupted on Emma's arms and stomach, nipples tightening instantly. What the hell? "This was an incision from the surgery. The bullet tore your stomach and intestine."

Regina pressed her palm against Emma's flat stomach and exhaled sharply. Emma shuddered, more moved by Regina's reaction to touching her than the touch itself. This woman loved her.

The hand slid slowly towards the left ribcage as Regina continued, "It glanced off your rib and punctured your lung. This incision was reopened after your car accident to drain fluid away from your heart." Her thumb brushed across the bump of the new scar tissue.

"You didn't wake for ten days. Scared the hell out me."

"Stop," Emma said suddenly and snatched her shirt from Regina's hand. She winced, growled, slipped it over her head before sticking her arms through.

Regina whirled with the sudden anger. What the hell just happened? "Em?" Her heart hoped, but her mind told her that whatever just blew through her wife's mind frightened her.

"I'm not her anymore, Regina. I don't know you, and I'm damn sure not going to take a bullet for you." Aaaaand they were back to that.

Regina dropped her gaze and clicked to the chair, dropping into it unceremoniously. Emma studied her pinched face, black circles beneath her eyes, defeated posture. "I'm sorry, Regina."

The royal waved her hand dismissively without opening her eyes. "I'm tired, Emma. Please." She rubbed her forehead with fingertips meant to soothe the headache forming there. "Magic always comes with a price."

"Magic?" Emma wrinkled her nose as she lay back on the bed. She'd give a limb to leave this place.

"True Love," Regina said, expecting Emma to understand. She didn't, of course. It made Regina sick. They'd ended the prophecy, but their love still came with a price. The same price prevented Belle and Ruby from pulling their lives together.

"You never did answer my question," Emma blurted, unnerved by Regina's nonsensical babbling. Regina raised her head but remained silent. "Do people always do what you tell them to?"

Regina snorted, head shaking slowly as a smile spread on her cheeks. "Everyone but you."

* * *

After a brief pit stop at the diner to obtain their lunch and their daughter, Emma finally glimpsed a portion of her future. She gaped at the mansion and clutched the food bag closer to her chest.

"No way," she uttered, completely speechless. "No freakin' way!" She glanced at a smirking Regina.

"Welcome home, Darling. We do share it with two women and four children, but it is quite large." Regina explained.

Emma gaped. "Backstreet's back, alright."

"Excuse me?" Only when Emma realized that Regina stared with a blank expression did the mortal terror take over.

"Seriously? You were an 'N Sync fan? I married an 'N Sync woman?" Emma threw her hands up and slumped dramatically.

Regina stared at this foreign beast in her wife's body. "What is an 'N Sync?"

Emma gawked, eyes bulging, jaw unhinged. "I can't talk to you anymore." She snagged the keys from the ignition of the Camry and hobbled slowly towards the door. She seemed much more stable physically now that she felt human in clothes and away from the hospital.

Regina watched her with one eye and tapped a text to Ruby. _What's an in sync in relation to the phrase 'backstreet's back, alright?'_

While she waited for the reply, Regina detached the seat from the base and pulled Annabel from the car. Her phone dinged halfway up the walk. _I literally just spit coffee all over Granny when I read your text. She's not happy with either of us. Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync are pop bands from the 90's. Every good fan girl picked a band and never ever strayed to the other except in the dead of night when they had dirty dreams about Nick Carter or Justin Timberlake. _

"Bands?" Regina took a deep breath and continued to the house. Emma left her over bands? She giggled to keep from screaming in frustration.

Her phone dinged again. _Go to you tube and look up Gangnam Style. Trust me. Emma will love it. _

_I will not expose her to that horrific excuse for music. Remember how many times she played that awful song in the middle of the night?_

_Fine. Look up Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepson. _Ruby urged. Regina raised her eyebrow with more than a little trepidation.

The song sounded reasonably titled, so Regina took Ruby's advice. She set Annabel on the dining room table and opened Ruby's laptop. "Emma."

"I think I'm lost! I'm in a library!" Emma yelled back. Regina smirked and searched for the video. Emma would figure it out.

"Marco!"

"I can take you to see Marco later, Darling. Come here," Regina ordered, hoping her voice enough to lead Emma home.

"Marco!"

"Emma, I will take you to his shop later!" Regina yelled losing her patience.

"You've never played Marco Polo?" Emma asked, slightly disturbed by her wife's lack of knowledge of this world. She rounded the corner to the dining room and set the bag onto the table with a rattle.

"If it involved raising my voice, I was not permitted to participate as a child," Regina sniped. Before Emma commented, she continued, "Ruby has informed me that you will enjoy this song."

"Oh my god, what is this?" Emma asked, wonderment in her eyes. "Youtube?"

"A website for videos," Regina explained over her shoulder as she snagged the bag and disappeared into the kitchen.

If Ruby stood before her when she returned to the dining room, she'd have killed her with her bare hands. The song was an awful mixture of pop, repetitive bass and drums combined with terrible lyrics. Emma loved it.

"This is amazing. Where was she in the 90's?" Emma gushed and bobbed her head to the beat.

"I seriously doubt she was a teenager when you actually were 21, Darling," Regina silently cursed Ruby and slid Emma's food in front of her.

"What was wrong with the foam containers?" Emma asked and poked the plate.

"Shut up and eat," Regina ordered as she lifted Annabel from the car seat. "Right, Sweet Girl. Tell your Mama Emma to stop being so difficult. Not everything requires a question."

"Mama Emma. Holy shit. That just kicks you in the cunt, doesn't it?' Emma slouched in the chair, shoulders humped unnaturally.

Regina ignored the terrible posture for the moment. "Would you like to hold her?"

"Uhhh." Terror crossed her features. "Guess I should, huh? I've never held a baby."

Regina lowered Annabel, but Emma jerked away. "No, not yet. I'm still recovering. I might, uhh, drop her… or something."

"When you're ready," Regina said, not one bit surprised or fazed by Emma's refusal. "Tell her, Annabel. It's a good thing since you like to puke on her. Probably not good for healing incisions."

When Regina unbuttoned her shirt and the babe engulfed the large brown nipple greedily, Emma's fry froze halfway to her open mouth. Regina poked at the spinach leaves and almonds in her salad with a fork and popped it into her mouth. She rocked the infant and hummed lightly as she chewed. Emma watched, partly horrified and partly intrigued.

"Ow, easy baby," she chided their daughter. She finally noticed the disconcerted stare. "She's becoming more voracious with each meal. I'll not be able to feed her this way much longer," Regina explained her small outbursts.

"Uhh," Emma paled. Her stomach churned.

"Why does the thought of pumping my breast disturb you so terribly?" She'd not asked Emma, too amused to care. Now she wondered for the sake of wondering.

"Well, I imagine… were I to… I mean, any type of suction can get milk out of there." Emma stuttered endearingly, much like her Emma might.

"Indeed?" Regina hadn't considered the sexual implications. "That makes sense I suppose. You're very fond of my breasts." Regina raised an eyebrow and raked dark eyes down Emma's torso, lingering lasciviously as she raised them to Emma's once more.

"Apparently, even as an amnesiac."

"And you are horny as hell all the time, aren't you?" Emma countered, sinking into the easy flirting. She knew Regina withheld any unwanted physical contact. This presented a safe way to test the boundaries of her attraction for the mother of her children.

"Mmmm, I blame you entirely."

"How is this my fault?" Emma squeaked, unknowingly mimicking the exact question she asked when Regina teasingly blamed her for seducing her after they made love the first time.

Regina grinned, remembering every single second of the day. "Your exquisitely developed biceps and womanly charm, of course."

"Oh?" Emma said. Regina prayed and hoped and dared to believed. "And if I do this?" She raised her shirt sleeve and flexed the beautifully sculpted muscle.

The ease faded, and a band of tension snapped around them. Regina cleared her throat and turned her eyes back to Annabel. Emma struggled to comprehend the situation. Only one thing might have made Regina react so dramatically. "We've had that conversation before, haven't we?"

"Only the part about your arms," Regina murmured against her daughter's hair, seeking comfort from the tiny body.

"Oh," Emma's gaze dropped. "I'm sorry that I'm different. It sounds like we had a pretty good thing going."

Regina raised her eyes, studying her wife's heartbroken face. "You're not different, Emma. You're exactly the same only ten years younger and considerably more vulgar."

"I am?" Regina nodded. "Well, that's good, right?"

"Regina?" The queen raised her eyes. "That's good, right?"

_If you can love me. _"Yes, Darling, it's wonderful."


	17. Unanswered Prayers

Aaaaand, I'm back. Thank you for the reviews, Doves. So, who do you think it is?

Songs: This Love Doesn't Run and Rescue Me by Kerrie Roberts

* * *

_**15 Days After Belle's Departure**_

"Regina, wake up," Emma whispered and gingerly touched the other woman's shoulder. Regina cracked her eyes lazily and squinted into the darkness of the living room.

"Em?" She half said, half moaned, sleep numbing her vocal cords. "What's wrong?"

Emma knelt in front of sofa, one leg tucked beneath her and the other pulled to her chest. She'd healed so fast, everything but her brain. Regina turned onto her side and tucked unruly blonde hair behind her ear, waiting patiently. Emma often came to her when something bothered her or didn't make sense, just as Amelia said she would after building the bond of trust those first few days, but never in the middle of the night.

"I had a nightmare," Emma seemed ashamed of the perceived weakness.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Regina offered automatically, grumpiness from lack of sleep forgotten.

Ruby growled on the other sofa, and bright blue light filled the room. "It is 3:38," she groused. Belle's absence definitely made her less friendly to being awoken in the middle of the night.

"Wolf Pup, go up to my bedroom. We're going to be awake for a while," Regina encouraged the other woman. Ruby rolled onto the floor on all fours and whined as she pushed to her feet.

They watched her stumble and curse through the darkness and remained silent until the door slammed upstairs. Emma rested her chin on her knee and huffed a sigh, "She doesn't like me."

"It's not you, Darling. She misses Belle and hasn't been sleeping much," Regina explained as patiently as possible for the hundredth time and touched Emma's hair again. "What was your nightmare?"

Emma puffed a breath into her cheeks, still shaken. "It's silly now that I'm thinking about it. I'm sorry I woke you and Ruby."

Regina brushed the back of her hand over Emma's face. "Tell me anyway?"

Green eyes slipped shut at the gentle touch. "The wicked witch of the west was there. I fought her with magic." She chuckled, a slow smile spreading. Regina continued the soft caress, dread filling her heart.

"Annabel was in that pouch thing, and I just carried her around like it was completely normal for a baby to be in a magic battle." She sobered, clenching her jaw against the memory she perceived a dream.

"I broke her neck, the witch's not Annabel's. She was on her back, and I just kept throwing fireballs into her and then twisted her head until it was completely backwards, like she was possessed." Emma shuddered. Regina cupped her cheek.

"I can still feel it popping," she finished, unable to give more details.

So it began. Amelia warned Regina that memories often surfaced in dreams because the waking mind wasn't busy absorbing other information and processing it into long term or 'working' memory, as she'd called it. Regina took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"It wasn't a dream, Darling. You've recovered a memory." Regina held her breath and forced her eyes to look into those green orbs filled with horror staring at her in slight disgust.

"That's not even close to funny," Emma bit and pulled away abruptly. "I should have stayed in bed." She stomped towards the kitchen, knowing she'd not get anymore sleep that night anyway. She'd come to Regina for comfort and got mocked for her effort of reaching out. Well, never again.

Regina followed at a much slower pace and watched Emma bang around the kitchen for a moment. "Emma, I know this is difficult to accept, but you must. You contain a powerful magic that might potentially harm someone if you do not learn how to harness its power."

The glass carafe flew at her in the midst of a string of profanities. She waved her hand, stopping the pot in mid-air, and then flicked her fingers. It floated gently to the counter at Emma's hip. She made the mistake last time of withholding this information and nearly drove Emma away for good.

Emma stared, a mixture of fear and intrigue on her features. "How the hell did you do that?"

"As I said, magic exists within Storybrooke. Would you care to see more?" Regina asked and stepped onto the cool tile.

"Oh god, did I wake up in another nightmare? I hate that shit. Why can't you just wake up?" Emma squatted and hung her head between her knees.

Regina hated herself a little bit for shattering Emma's innocence once more, but she deserved to know the truth. "Emma, look at me, Sweetheart," Regina urged gently.

Emma raised her face, red and blotchy from tears flowing freely. "Why are you mocking me? I'm doing the best I can. I'm trying to be a mother and a wife and a friend, and I don't remember any of you people."

"Em, oh Darling, I'm not mocking you. I want you to understand how special Storybrooke is," Regina explained as tenderly as possible. "How special you are."

"Stop. Just leave me alone," came the muffled reply from between her knees.

"How can I prove to you that this is real?" No response. "Okay, Sheriff, would you like to see your station? I can teleport us there right now."

Emma's head jerked up. "Are you kidding? I'm sorry I woke you, okay. Just stop taunting me."

Regina touched her face, swiping a tear with her thumb. "Hold your breath."

Regina teleported without giving Emma a chance to mull over the odd command. The station appeared around them, and Emma stood jerkily, turning bodily in the new space. The office offered just enough room for a small metal desk, a tiny bookshelf, and a small refrigerator with a microwave on top. It looked like a Spartan dorm room instead of a Sheriff's office.

"What the… holy fucking christ on a pogo stick," Emma swore, her terror melting slightly in light of giddiness.

She wandered to the bookshelf and trailed a finger over the titles. One grabbed her eyes, and she pulled it from the shelf and opened the worn paper cover. She traced something on the inside. "Casey gave this to me my first birthday after we got out. She signed it 'Glad you're a criminal. Love -C-.' She was a goober," she wiped tears of another kind.

Regina clasped her hands in front of hips and observed her wife. A smile spread slowly across her lips. "Would you care to see the rest of the station?"

Emma returned the book with one final caress of the spine. "Since we're already here."

Regina extended her hand and Emma took it. Brown and green studied the connected limbs for a moment. It felt right, Emma realized, to physically touch Regina. Her heart and body remembered the woman even if her mind struggled for the images depicted in their wedding album. Who she was had loved Regina as much as the older women clearly loved her.

Regina broke the moment with a slight tug, and Emma followed. No amount of preparation could have prepared them for what they discovered in the bullpen that night. Regina stared, mouth moving up and down like a fish with only guttural, indistinguishable sounds vibrating from her throat.

Emma turned bodily and puked all over the floor, holding her weight with shaking hands on her knees. What she'd seen could never be unseen, though.

Blood practically covered every inch of the station. The 14 corrupt council members awaiting their hearings lay cold and lifeless. Some stared at the ceiling. Others slumped against walls or lay on their sides. The young woman standing guard that night sat in a chair, a piece of her throat on the floor beside her in a puddle of thick sticky liquid of life.

She couldn't have been more than 25 years old, one of Belle's warriors, Regina realized. Many volunteered to help guard the station under David's control once more since Emma's accident and Regina's mutiny. As she studied her more closely, she recognized her as the young woman Eva put in charge of the ICU wing a week ago.

"That's Patricia," Emma rasped, her voice hardened by the acid in her throat. Apparently, she recognized her, too.

"Emma, that way, go into the hall," Regina pointed as she stumbled to a phone, carefully staying away from the splotches of blood on the floor.

"Why would they kill Patricia? There aren't many people in this world I say this about, but she was good one. Regina?" Emma whined, searching for answers Regina couldn't give.

"Emma, go wait in the hall, now," she repeated, fighting her own nausea. The Evil Queen was truly dead and gone. She barely stomached a little blood and gore. This surrounded her daily during her reign of terror.

Emma numbly obeyed her order, and Regina waited until she left her sight before picking up the phone and dialing David's number. Bile crept up her throat, and she swallowed it down as the phone rang into her ear.

"Sheriff," David's sleepy voice stated.

"David, it's Regina. I need you to come to the station. Emma wasn't able to sleep, so I brought her in for a tour to take her mind off things. David," she whispered, her resolve breaking, "they're all dead."

"What?" Rustling. Snow's soft murmur.

"It looks like a wolf's kill, David. It's two more weeks until the full moon," Regina added stupidly. Everyone knew when the full moon fell now that they knew of more than one wolf in Storybrooke. They only knew of one with the ability to change outside the full moon, though. They had to protect Ruby.

"I'm on my way," David clipped and disconnected the call.

Regina jabbed the little button that reset the dial tone and ran a hand over her face. Her breath hitched as she dialed the next number. Ruby growled as a greeting, and Regina knew she would have smiled had the circumstances been different.

"Ruby, it's Regina. Emma and I are at the station. I need you to wake Granny and have her go to the house, and then I need you to come over here." She felt the quiver in her voice, knew Ruby heard it, too.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" The phone scratched, telling Regina that Ruby had already started moving. She heard Amelia's faint mumble in the background.

"Emma and I are both fine, physically." A deep breath. Another. It settled her nerves only slightly but not her nausea. "Ruby, someone killed the council members waiting for trial and the girl watching the station. Ruby," she stopped.

"Ruby," she tried again, knowing the young wolf deserved the chance to prepare herself for what she'd see this night. "They look like wolf kills, Wolf Pup."

Silence. "Ruby?" Nothing. "Ruby!"

"Yeah!" The wolf snapped. "I'm coming. I'm on my way. Amelia is awake. She's calling Granny."

"Tell her to call Snow and Eva and Lauren, too, and wake Katy. I want as many people on guard as possible. Do not leave that house until Granny gets there," Regina ordered.

"Not a chance in hell, Mama Bear," Ruby replied, protective instinct on high alert.

Silence stretched, but neither felt compelled to hang up. "It was him, wasn't it? My father," Ruby asked, and Regina jumped, not having expected the additional noise.

"I don't know," Regina said honestly, though the theory held water. "That's why we need you here, to sniff out the trail. David is on his way. We'll check the security cameras."

"Okay," Ruby said and then went silent once more. "You should go check on Emma."

Regina nodded uselessly. "Yes, I'll see you soon." A click in her ear ended the call, and Regina replaced the receiver slowly as if moving in water.

On wobbling legs, she followed Emma to the hallway. Her partner sat in the middle of the hall, back pressed against the wall, legs straight in front. She shivered slightly, not from tears, perhaps from shock. Her eyes remained fixated upon her hands resting in her lap. Regina slid down the wall, shoulder just grazing Emma's, but her wife failed to acknowledge her presence.

"Emma," she touched her hair, mindful of the shaved area where she'd had brain surgery. "Emma, look at me."

"A wolf kill," she murmured, not quite making sense. "Ruby is a werewolf. You're a witch and Ruby is a werewolf."

"You remember?" Regina asked, too excited to absorb the words properly.

"I remember Ruby turning into a wolf in the middle of the day and standing over a bloody woman, and you… you've killed. You're a murderer." Regina's heart dropped.

"Darling, listen to me," Regina touched her forearm lightly, pleased when Emma only flinched instead of pulling away completely. "Yes, I have killed, so has Ruby and so Belle and so have you. The woman Ruby stood over was Belle. She was protecting her, not hurting her. That was the day of your accident."

Emma shook her head, "No, it was the day she got that scar on her face. I remember." Shit.

"No, Baby," Regina touched her face, cradling her cheeks tenderly. "That wasn't the same day, Sweetheart."

"Why should I believe you?" Emma whispered. She wanted to pull away, but Regina's hands were warm and she was cold from fear and shock.

Regina glanced over her shoulder. "You don't have to. Ask David. He will confirm my version of events."

"David, did Belle get the scar on her face the same day Ruby turned into a wolf in the daytime?" Emma asked, the question soft though it tried to be forceful.

His forehead scrunched, "No. That happened a year after she got that scar. She remembers Ruby is a wolf?" He pointed to his head, slightly flabbergasted by the sudden question.

"Ruby is on her way as soon as Granny arrives at the mansion. Have you any other help coming?"

David nodded and set his hands on his hips. He smelled the iron tang of blood from the hallway and found himself in no hurry to enter the bullpen. "Leroy and his crew. Dr. Morton, the medical examiner," he added with a nod to Emma who lowered her eyes.

"David, Ruby will be blamed for this," Regina said evenly, but David heard the underlying fear in her voice. She was Head of Council, and as such, if the people rebelled, she may be forced to rule unjustly against her friend.

"Ruby knows the risks of being your right hand, Regina," David said, subtly telling her that he understood and sympathized with her position.

"I thought I was your right hand," Emma said, trying to pull her mind from the images she knew haunted her for months to come.

"You're my left, Darling. My love. My heart," Regina smiled and threaded her fingers through her wife's, comforting both of them.

"Your vena amoris," Emma said as though it were the most natural thing in the world. At the confused stares from the other two people, she continued, "Latin, literally meaning vein of love. It was originally believed that a vein ran directly from the heart to the fourth finger of the left hand, which is why we wear our wedding bands on that finger."

Regina's eyebrows raised. Emma's furrowed. "Why do I know this?"

Regina supplied the answer, "It sounds like one of Belle's useless facts she spurted in the weeks leading up to our wedding."

Emma squeezed her hand painfully and held tight. "This is a piss poor time to remember shit." She rubbed at her eyes beneath her glasses.

"Regina, take Emma home. I'll come by in the morning for official statements," David offered, unable to handle his daughter in such a state anymore.

"When Ruby arrives. I have no idea if anyone is still in the station or not," Regina said, and David nodded his thanks, still avoiding the main room.

"Ruby's here," the wolf announced. "Granny moves fast." Her eyes flared yellow, wolf at the ready and sniffing out the different scents. "That's… What the hell?"

"What is it, Ruby?" Regina asked as she helped Emma onto trembling legs.

"I can't smell anything but… The only scent that doesn't belong is Amelia's," Ruby explained, slightly terrified. "This doesn't make sense. Amelia is not a wolf. Even if she'd been bitten by one, she shouldn't be able to change without the full moon. That takes years of practice unless…"

"Her potions," Regina finished following her friend's thought train. "She thought someone switched her ingredients. It's possible that someone also took her potion book. Transformation potions are extremely difficult and require the essence of one creating it. Amelia would have mixed her blood with the potion as well as that of a magical being, probably Emma's."

Everyone looked confused and horrified. Regina threw her hand in the air in irritation. They knew absolutely nothing of magic. "In order to transform without an unbearable amount of pain, you must create a blood bond with your potion. It makes the transformation more natural. Whoever took this potion will be in agony for the next few days."

Ruby jerked fingers through her brown and red hair. "Could someone without Amelia's skill level pull off this potion?"

Regina shook her head, "I seriously doubt it. I never mastered them."

Anger rolled off the wolf. "Whoever this is wasn't a part of The Council. They didn't try to kill Amelia because she's a doctor. They wanted her potions. Why the hell would she want to transform into a wolf?"

Regina shrugged, "Why does Amelia do half of what she does?"

"Good point," Ruby agreed, but what should have been a lighthearted statement sounded tortured.

"It wasn't him," Ruby whispered and covered her face with both hands. Regina squeezed Emma's hand and then set both of hers on Ruby's shoulders. The wolf slumped into a hug from the shorter woman and shuddered gently.

"Regina, it wasn't him," she murmured into the witch's ear. Regina nodded, her cheek rubbing the wolf's ear. Though Ruby banished her father, she talked about him extensively with her and Granny and even Amelia at times. She almost wanted to know him but hadn't the capacity for that huge undertaking of forgiveness on top of everything else in her life, namely Belle's absence and Alex's suffering and Emma's amnesia.

"I know, Baby," Regina whispered and kissed her hair. "Are you okay to stay here with David or would you rather go back to the house since I've already seen it?"

Ruby shook her head and straightened, her brave warrior making an appearance. "You should go. Emma needs you, and your magic is much more effective should there be an attack."

Regina nodded and hugged her again. "Ruby, Patricia was on duty tonight. Her throat was ripped out." Ruby pulled back suddenly, pain in those eyes already filled to the brim with grief. They'd all come to appreciate the quiet, soulful nurse during Emma's last stint in the hospital, plus Eva touched her without pain.

"I'll tell Eva and Lauren when they arrive at the house," Regina said sadly. Ruby squeezed her arm, and then looked expectantly at David.

She took Emma's hand again. "Hold your breath." This time Emma obeyed without question.

They materialized just inside their bedroom door, and Regina squeaked when Emma's body trapped her between the cool wood and her warm body. Hot, wet lips found her neck, and Regina's body came alive beneath her wife's attention.

"Emma," she whispered, hips rolling into the blondes without her permission. Nipples strained against her shirt, working against her brain in the worst way. She'd been too long without this touch.

"Em, stop," she breathed without conviction. A hand slid up the silk on her thigh and slipped beneath her shirt.

Teeth grazed her the skin below her ear, and her body jerked into Emma's involuntarily. A moan vibrated the back of her throat, and she almost gave into the passion of the moment. Even without her memories, Emma found that particularly sweet erogenous zone. Arousal pooled between her legs, and a toned thigh ground into it.

"Emma stop!" she pushed her wife back a step and slumped against the door, her own rapid pants mirroring Emma's.

"I'm sorry," Emma whined as her head fell onto Regina's shoulder. Gentle sobs quaked beneath the chest pressed into hers, and Regina wrapped her arms around her grieving wife.

"It's okay, Emma," she managed around gulps of air. She wanted Emma, desired the same thing from her wife. The comfort found in the safe touch of another, the oblivion of sex endorphins that covered the sharpest pangs of grief.

"Darling, it's okay," she repeated a minute later. "You're instincts are not wrong. We've often sought comfort from one another in the form of sex, but…"

"I can't remember," Emma finished the thought.

Regina nodded, tickling her cheek against tangled blonde hair. "If you never remember the first time… or the second first time… I don't want this to be what you think about."

Regina nudged her shoulders lightly and held her cheeks in both hands when Emma raised her head. Thumbs caught tears, and Regina smiled through the pain. "It should be about us and not about erasing the horror we just witnessed."

"I'm sorry," Emma apologized again.

Regina shook her head slightly, "Don't be sorry. When you're ready for that, I'm right here and more than willing, but it has to be about us. If you can't love me and you never remember, Emma, I won't hold you to your marriage vows. You deserve to be happy, even if it isn't with me."

Regina closed her eyes against the anguish that statement brought. Emma studied the reaction through the darkness. Regina would let her go even if it destroyed her. The thought sparked a slow burn of affection previously unfelt in her heart towards the other woman. Regina swallowed audibly and forced her eyes open.

"If you need comfort tonight, I'll stay with you after I talk with Eva and Lauren. I'll hold you if you'd like, but please don't ask me to make love to you when I know you don't feel it yet, and may never feel it again."

Emma nodded and stepped away from the other woman. She'd behaved selfishly since leaving the hospital, playing with Regina like a toy because she was the partner who remembered. She hadn't considered the fact that Regina grieved the loss of her memories as much if not more than she did. Regina and Ruby were close, anyone with eyes saw that, but she realized in that moment that she probably had been Regina's main source of comfort. She was an ass.

Her heart tugged at her conscience and demanded she do better by Regina. The woman never asked her for anything, never expected anything. She needed to do better or at least try.

"Emma," Regina gasped, pulling her from the lecture she gave herself.

A tingling sensation and a bright pink glow pulled her eyes to her hands. They shimmered with an aura of pink glitter. It faded slowly, and Emma stared at her hands long after it faded, leaving them shrouded in partial darkness.

"Your magic, Emma," Regina explained without being asked. "It originates from unselfish desire."

"Holy fuck, you were serious? I'm a witch?"

Regina chuckled and nodded. "Yes, dear, simply put."

Emma alternated her gaze between her hands and Regina's dark eyes, black in the dim light. Regina thought she might hyperventilate, but Emma pulled her shoulders square and nodded. "Okay," she accepted the new information about her life with a slight quiver in her voice.

She nodded, "Okay." It sounded much more confident. Emma Swan was a survivor, especially at this stage in her life. Regina believed she may have accepted everything that happened to her in the past three years more easily had it happened during her early twenties. This Emma seemed much more resilient, less fearful of losing everything.

She had nothing to lose, Regina realized.

She'd never felt the power of True Love yet. Though she cared for everyone trying to help her right now, she hadn't reached the ability to love them, not in the gigantic capacity that her Emma possessed. For the first time since Emma woke, her amnesia almost looked like a blessing in disguise.

If she remembered small snippets at a time, it gave her mind and heart time to deal with the trauma of all the loss she'd suffered instead of dumping everything upon her at once. Regina smiled. They were going to be okay. She knew it. She believed it for the first time in two weeks.

"Em," she waited until the woman attached to the name met her eyes, "go back to bed. I'll return soon if you wish for me to spend the night with you. I must talk to Lauren and Eva about Patricia first."

Emma returned her smile. "I'd like that."

It was a start.


	18. Deceptions

Thank you for the reviews, My Doves.

Rebel, I've killed less than 100! I still have several thousand to choose from. Haha.

Enjoy!

Songs: Not Giving up by Royal Wood.

* * *

_**20 Days After Belle's Departure**_

Emma watched Regina and Ruby tag team breakfast for their horde. Waffles and bacon. The selection should have her salivating, but her mind refused to shake the gnawing at the edge of her nerves. She huffed a sigh and adjusted her head phones before clicking another video from the right side of the screen. Lady Gaga was the best damn thing to happen to the pop music industry in the past ten years.

Half of the song played before Emma realized that she hadn't heard a word. With a frustrated jerk, the buds dislodged from her ears. "What if Amelia attacked those people?" She blurted, not able to formulate a more tactful introduction to the conversation.

Regina and Ruby whirled as one. "What?" They said in unison, and Emma's eyebrows shot towards the sky. How long had they lived together? They shared so many mannerisms.

"That night. I had a lot of trouble sleeping. She came in late, after midnight. Didn't Dr. Morton estimate the time of death to be around eleven?" Emma defended her theory, hoping to put these circular thoughts to rest. They considered Amelia family, but her stomach tightened with the though they harbored such a brutal murderer.

Regina and Ruby glanced at each other, considering her concerns for her sake, but they thought she was wrong. She saw it immediately. When Regina spoke, Emma realized her fears. "Amelia wouldn't betray us like that." Of course. She suffered from amnesia, and Amelia was an accomplished neurosurgeon, her neurosurgeon.

Disappointment deflated her chest, and she turned her eyes back to the computer screen. "How do you know? I'm just throwing it out there. I'm not blinded by my emotions, like you two. I mean, I like Amelia, but I don't know or trust her." Emma tried again. This whole situation felt off to her.

"Darling, Amelia wants her happy ending, just like the rest of us. I believe she may be in the midst of realizing that desire with Caleb. She'd not compromise that or us to kill The Council, especially since I reclaimed control of it." Regina explained patiently and flipped strips of bacon.

Ruby nodded her agreement. "Regina's right. Trust me when I say that I don't like Amelia, but I don't think she's capable of that kind of deception, not where we're concerned anyway."

The wolf wiped her hands on a towel and then covered the waffles with foil. "She was one of your bridesmaids, Ems. Would you have chosen her if you didn't trust her?" Ruby asked, forcing Emma to set her own mind at ease.

She shrugged one shoulder. "I guess not." She caught her cheek on her fist, cheek squishing under the pressure, and pretended to read the names of videos on the right side of the screen.

"Okay, I'm heading to the library," Ruby announced and tossed the towel down. Apparently, the matter felt resolved to her wife's best friend.

Regina set a fist on her hip, tongs gripped tightly. "Ruby, you haven't eaten breakfast with us in a week." Her wife also appeared completely unconcerned by the possibility that someone who lived in their house and played daily with their children might be responsible for 15 murders. Why should she? Regina admitted that night that they'd all killed.

Ruby shrugged into her jacket hanging over a chair and made "Blah. Blah. Blah." motions with her mouth towards Emma. The amnesiac raised her eyebrows and pulled her lips into her mouth to keep from smiling at the wolf's silent sass. Ruby made her feel good with these tiny reactions daily, that much she knew. Regina made her feel loved and safe but also guilty when her yearning eyes cast in her direction when she believed Emma too engrossed in a video or the television to notice. Amelia, however, set her on edge, like she expected her to remember something that might destroy the new friendship being forged.

"Miss Lucas, are you mocking me?" Regina clipped and Ruby whirled into a deep bow towards The Queen. Emma shook away her darker thoughts and enjoyed the moment.

"Of course not," she offered in a false submissive tone. Emma chuckled and then laughed outright at the wolf's antics.

Ruby straightened and kissed Regina's cheek. "I'll grab something at the diner. I just want to get the library dusted before my shift starts at noon. That place is huge. I didn't get to finish last Saturday."

Regina pursed her lips but said nothing as she transferred popping pig strips to a plate. "Go on. I'll bring Alex by after the lunch rush to see you."

"Thanks, Mama Bear," Ruby snagged a piece of bacon and waved it around emphatically. She crunched into it a moment before she back into the door frame, and Emma laughed again. For one with such agile reflexes, Ruby was pretty clumsy.

"She seems to be doing okay without Belle," Emma said absently and shut down the computer.

One glance at Regina's rigid spine told her that she'd missed the mark on that one. Without thinking, she crossed to the other woman and touched her shoulders gently. "She's barely keeping herself together," Regina whispered and leaned into the touch.

Emma's breasts pressed into her back, eliciting an audible intake of air. Since that night at the station, they'd begun giving and receiving physical comfort freely. While Regina loved it, the constant state of touching Emma without touching _her _Emma drove her insane… with desire, with grief, with lust. She still wanted this Emma, this younger version with similar values and cocky attitude that she'd fallen in love with. Emma was still Emma.

"Regina," Emma whispered, nose nuzzling into black hair. The intimacy and desire in Emma's voice blocked the air in the other woman's throat.

Her lips parted to speak, and a rapid breaths replaced the words. Tongs clattered to the counter as Regina turned to face her wife. Emma's hands returned to her shoulders for a lingering moment and then slid down the arms covered in the light fabric of the grey dress Regina wore. The sorceress released a shuddering breath, eyes slipping shut. Emma suspected that she pretended in these moments that she remembered everything, but she never asked why Regina closed her eyes when she touched her so intimately.

"Regina?" She repeated, the question enough to inspire those caramel eyes to open once more. "Can I touch you? Just to… just to see how it feels."

Regina smirked, "You are touching me, Darling."

"No," Emma stopped. A frustrated sound vibrated in the back of her throat. "I mean…" She pulled away with a huff, "Never mind."

Regina snagged her wrists in a light hold, thwarting her retreat. "Yes, Emma, to whatever you had in mind. We were never really very good at expressing ourselves with words before you bumped your head too many times." Regina chuckled, remembering something Emma may never.

Emma's heart jumpstarted into a frantic rhythm, fraying her nerves at the end. She swallowed nervously when Regina guided her hands to her waist and then dropped hers to hang near her thighs. Emma stepped into her bodily, something she'd not done since the night they'd discovered the massacre at the station. Regina held her breath.

Emma knew the woman she married gave up control for her sake, willing her body not to react or at the very least show it for Emma's sake. Hesitant hands glided over the soft dress to caress voluptuous hips. She nearly jerked away when Regina leaned back, heels of her hands pressing into the counter behind her.

Heat at the apex of Regina's thighs pulsed into hers, and Emma released a shaky breath when her body reacted with arousal of her own. She wrapped one arm around Regina's lower back, pressing their heat together. A harsh gasp startled her, and she tore her eyes from their joined hips to find hazy caramel and parted lips. The expression urged her forward. Regina wanted this. She wanted this.

The thought shocked her momentarily, but she recovered quickly when her palm suddenly pressed against a soft stomach. It slid upwards, either side grazing a beautiful designed breast. Regina leaned back further, stretching the body on display for her viewing and touching pleasure.

"My god, you're beautiful," Emma whispered, unaware the thought crossed her mind until the words left her mouth.

Her fingers traced the tiny bumps of the scars on Regina's chest. She'd yet to ask why someone carved the words into her skin, but the fact that Regina displayed them proudly endeared her more to the savior. The chest beneath her hand rose and felt erratically, the body betraying the mind of the woman inside of it.

"Emma," Regina practically pleaded, clawed fingers digging into her biceps.

Instead of pulling away, Emma cupped the back of Regina's neck and pulled her forward until their breasts pressed firmly together. "I want to kiss you."

"Then kiss me," it should have been permission, but the breathy desperation of the words told Emma that Regina begged her.

Emma searched those expressive eyes, seeing nothing but desire. Panic surged in her veins, and she jerked away abruptly. Regina caught the counter behind her before she fell over in the sudden cold absence of a warm body pressed to hers.

"I'm sorry," Emma whispered, bumping the island with her hip in a hasty, backwards retreat. Her heart hurt when Regina bowed her head, shoulders slumping forward under the weight of her burden.

"Regina, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that," Emma tried again.

Regina held up one trembling hand, halting the flood of words before they flowed. A quiet, broken sound slipped from her lips, and the hand covered her mouth a moment before her shoulders shook with silent tears. Emma adjusted her shoulder, unused to feelings of guilt in association to her behavior.

"Do you want me to leave you alone for a little bit?" She asked, silently hoping Regina said yes.

The older woman nodded without looking up, and more guilt followed the relief Emma felt. She bolted from the kitchen, nearly barreling over Henry in the process. The boy stepped to the same side at the same moment, and then immediately moved with her to the other side. She grabbed his shoulders and switched their positions.

"Ma?"

Emma recoiled at the title and bolted towards the front door. "Go hug your mom!" She tossed over her shoulder.

Emma ran until her damaged lung burned with the effort. She knew it wasn't far, but with each step, her breaths came easier despite the physical gasping. Her heart and mind no longer matched. One wanted Regina and the children and this life, and the other yearned to run before it all collapsed again. It would eventually. It always fell apart.

She glanced around, surprised to find herself in the middle of a park. A paved path followed the slow-moving river. Kids shrieked and laughed on the playground equipment a few hundred yards ahead. She reversed directions and followed the path into the forest. When the children faded and the air cooled enough to raise gooseflesh on her arms from the shade of the trees, she stepped off the path and flopped onto the grass.

Green eyes studied the lush canopy of leaves. A curious hand slid beneath her shirt and brushed over the scars. Regina only explained the few surrounding the shooting, but the long jagged line that stretched from her shoulder, passed between her breasts, and ended across her right ribcage remained a mystery. Who had she protected earning this battle scar?

Hands dropped to the slightly damp grass and grasped two handfuls. She wasn't that person. How had she ever become that person? Regina wanted her, still, as she was now. Her wife's affection felt genuine and accepting of their new relationship. She never pushed or asked for more than Emma willingly gave. This morning Regina's desire surfaced when she'd pleaded for Emma's kiss. She wanted her, but did she desire Regina? Was Regina's palpable but unspoken yearning infecting her? Emma's brow furrowed, moving her glasses enough to blur the green above her.

"You still get that look when you can't figure something out?" A familiar male voice called.

Emma jerked upright and scrambled to her feet. Breath whooshed from her lungs when the man came into focus. A smile spread as did anger. "Neal?"

"Hey," he greeted and smiled shyly, head ducking slightly. Even after she kicked his ass and had him arrested, his heart fluttered with love for young woman. If her star struck gaze indicated anything, the rumors of her amnesia whispered truthfully for once. She remembered nothing of his role in Regina's kidnapping and torture and subsequent loss of True Love.

She laughed and rushed into him, and he accepted the hug happily. A grunt of pain followed his joy as the sting of her slap echoed into the trees around them. She hugged him again and then smacked his chest with the heels of her hands.

"You left me holding the bag, you asshole," she whirled angrily and stomped further into the forest.

"I'm sorry, Emma," he followed a couple steps behind. He loved chasing Emma Swan.

"Just shut up," Emma ordered and crossed her arms over her chest. Despite the pain, she loved the man three years later.

"Em," he called in that sweet, apologetic voice he used when he intended to make everything up to her with his gentle touch. So many nights spent worshipping her body.

She stopped abruptly. That type of night sounded wonderful right now. She may have married Regina, but she didn't know her. Was it technically cheating? Regina said she'd not hold her to her vows if she found happiness elsewhere. His big hands slid around her shoulders, his strong chest pressing into her back. She still loved him.

"Emma," he whispered. She smiled, lips twitching with the effort of maintaining her anger.

"You're an asshole," she repeated and crossed her arms over her chest, rolling her shoulders to dislodge his hands as she stepped away. He followed.

"I know. I'm sorry, Emma." He smiled with one side of his mouth as she faced him with a huff.

"Forgive me?" He begged lightheartedly and backed her towards a tree.

Her arms remained crossed, even if her smile belied the giddiness in her heart. "You know I'm a married woman now."

He nodded sadly, "I know." His head dropped in what she assumed was grief. "You weren't when I came back for you, though."

Emma softened, hands sliding over his firm chest. "You came back for me?" She'd missed his chest, this embrace. He smelled different, his cologne maturing with the years.

His head jerked up, "Of course, I did. It took me years to track you down. You moved a lot. I finally found you in Boston, but then Henry came into the picture." His eyes split open, revealing his truth, his secret pain. She believed the lie.

"Neal," she touched his stubbly cheek. This was familiar. She knew this. She knew him. "Why haven't I seen you before now? If you know about Henry, then you must be a part of his life."

His huge hands slid down her arms and gripped her slim waist. "Regina won't let me see him. She has the both of you convinced that I'm a bad guy. After Boston, it took me a while to find Storybrooke because of the magical barrier hiding it."

Emma jerked, "You know about magic?" He nodded, and she laughed girlishly. Neal understood her complete and utter astonishment and instant fascination. They'd talked about magic so often, wondered what it might be like to live in a world with it.

Her gaze dropped when she settled. "Why won't Regina let you see Henry? Why do I let her treat you like that?" Green eyes lifted and searched his, genuinely hurt and confused by her wife's hatred of the man who fathered their son.

"A couple months before she got pregnant with Annabel, she was kidnapped and held hostage for two weeks." Emma gasped, but Neal pushed forward. "She's convinced that I did it. Had me arrested but never showed up for the court hearing. I guess she felt bad and couldn't go through with it."

He shrugged and pressed closer until the bark of the tree dug painfully into her back. "I'm not mad at her, Emma. I've forgiven her. I understand why she's threatened by me. You're a helluva woman, Emma Swan. I'd fight to keep you, too, but I let you go when you chose her. We never really moved on, though. I wonder if you chose Henry more than you chose her, because she never would have allowed you to see him if you'd stayed with me, and then Annabel…" His voice tapered off, and Emma glommed onto the unfinished thought.

"What about Annabel?" Emma begged him with her tone and eyes for an answer. So far, everyone responded to questions about Annabel's conception with vague answers or conspicuous subject changes. She handled the fact that magic existed just fine, but they thought her too weak to digest the information of Annabel's parentage.

He shook his head, "I'm not sure I should be the one to tell you that."

"Neal please?" Desperate fingers clutched at his shirt. "Everyone is so secretive about who her father is."

A deep sigh vibrated his chest against hers. "Em, Regina…" Her dropped his gaze, clenching his jaw. His hands flexed against her waist. "Regina went a little nuts after she was kidnapped. She slept around a lot. It was how she dealt with it, I guess. You felt bad, so you stayed. When she told you that she was pregnant, it all stopped and you guys fixed things, I guess. She doesn't know who the father is."

His hand engulfed one of her cheeks, thumb tenderly brushing away the tears in her eyes that hadn't fallen yet. Was that why Regina's was so doting? Emma shook her head. She'd seen the wedding photos. She loved Regina fiercely. They looked so happy, so in love. Betrayal stabbed at her heart.

"That's why no one will tell you. I'm sorry. She gave you permission to sleep with Amelia before you got married. Ask Dr. Shepherd if you don't believe me. I guess you wanted to make sure you liked sex with women before tying yourself to one." He leered, and she punched his shoulder.

"Pervert," she muttered. His familiar behavior soothed her pain, though.

He kissed her cheek. "I should go before someone sees me with you. This is a popular jogging trail, and Regina is a powerful woman in Storybrooke. Life could become very difficult for me if she realizes I reached out to you. Probably best not to say anything about me, well, at least not that I spoke to you today."

Emma nodded and pressed her face into his neck. It felt good to see a familiar face, to feel safe and normal for just a few minutes. "Can I meet you here tomorrow around 2? Regina always takes Alex to the diner after the lunch rush to see Ruby. I'll stay just stay behind."

Neal smiled brightly and tipped his lips to Emma's temple. "I'd like that very much."

She nearly whimpered when he backed away from the embrace. He grinned and shoved his hands into his pockets before stepping onto the trail and heading further into the woods. She watched him, waved when he glanced over his shoulder.

Relief filled her as she slowly trudged towards town and Mifflin street. Dread and questions followed. Why hadn't anyone told her about Neal? Why had she allowed Regina to treat the father of their son so harshly?

Was she emotionally manipulated into a marriage she never wanted?


	19. Flames

Sometimes, you simply have to accept the fact that you're a little messed up… as I did after writing this chapter.

Thank you for the wonderful reviews, My Darlings, and enjoy!

Songs: Too Many to Mend by Libby Weaver, Fight by Icon for Hire

* * *

Regina emerged from the bathroom with more than a little apprehension. Things changed between her and Emma this morning, and now the gigantic blaring neon sign pointing out the tension between them was blatantly ignored by both. Regina felt the fingers of a migraine slide around her skull from the brightness.

"Emma?" She stood perfectly still near the bathroom door and watched Emma pretend to sleep. Her shoulders tightened and coiled with anxiety, telling Regina she heard her name called.

"Emma Swan, I know you are not asleep. You may not know me, but I've spent many hours watching you sleep." She tried again. Irritation and exhaustion laced her voice. She was so tired. She only wanted Emma home and safe, and they'd had that until Emma gallivanted off after Belle like a modern day knight in her metal steed.

Their life fell far short of perfect, but it edged pretty damn close some days. Then some asshole came along and decided to take after them again for reasons unknown, and now Belle was gone. And Ruby cried herself to sleep every night. And Emma, her Emma, remained trapped within the damaged neural pathways of her brain. Heart magic can't fix this. It wasn't a curse, and as much as she wanted, forcing Emma to love her would be a betrayal of everything she'd worked so hard to become in the past three years.

Emma flopped onto her back. "Regina, I'm tired."

A mocking, high-pitched laugh tore from the back of Regina's throat. "You're tired? Well, ladies and gentlemen clear the damn stage because Emma Swan is tired."

Emma sat up and studied the woman who had, up to this point, been nothing but kind and patient. Was there more beneath the surface like Neal suggested? She'd struggled with the inconsistencies all day, unsure which version of the truth to believe. Neal had never lied to her before, but she knew nothing of Regina.

"What's wrong, Regina?" She asked, eyes wide with fear of what she might uncover in the next few minutes.

"I'm tired, too, Emma," Regina murmured, shoulders slumping in defeat. "I'm sorry for snapping." A trembling hand brushed over a face aged with grief, seeming much older than she had just a few hours ago at dinner.

"I'm so tired of fighting. I'm tired of contrition. I'm tired of guilt and pain and suffering, and I've no right to be because I deserve all of those punishments. I'm so tired of chasing a love that I should have realized would never truly be mine. I'm tired of everyone I love falling into the line of fire because of my past mistakes. I'm so very tired of putting the pieces back together."

Regina's heart reached for the love that Emma had given so freely and found an emptiness not felt since her love had been cruelly ripped from her by Pan's magic extraction machine. Watery brown eyes raised to shocked green, and Regina felt her heart harden a miniscule amount. That's the way it started before, she realized. Without Emma, the tenuous balance she found between good and evil crumbled everyday. She no longer bore Emma's heart. Nothing buffered the darkness, not like Emma's love.

"I need a drink," she muttered and left the room with numb but jerky movements.

Emma scrambled from the bed and followed the brooding woman. Ruby appeared at the living room door as they passed. Emma shrugged and then held up a hand when Ruby moved to follow them to the kitchen.

"Emma," the wolf stopped her in the middle of the foyer.

"What?" Emma bit, uncaring of her harsh tone. Nothing made sense anymore. Neal destroyed the faith she had in these women. Doubt replaced hesitant affection. Anger replaced confusion. Who was she to believe? Neal had left her to take the fall for his crime after all. Perhaps he justified Regina's decision to sever all contact between him and Henry for similar betrayals.

Ruby took the anger in stride. "Be easy," she pleaded. "Regina's a lot more fragile than she looks. She cares about a lot of people, but you're the only one whose ever had enough of her to completely break her soul, Emma."

"Stop," Emma held up a hand and scrubbed her face with the other. "I can't be responsible for her soul, Ruby. I know you love her and don't want to see her get hurt, I don't want that either, but I won't put that on myself."

Ruby threw up her hands. "Do you even hear yourself? Do you even know what you might destroy?" Emma's anger fizzled at the tears dripping onto the other woman's cheeks. She must have tried to call Belle again after they'd gone upstairs. Ruby always cried those nights, no matter who was around to witness it.

Emma waited. More information stood just behind those tears. Ruby shook her head, clearing it of grief, slinging tiny droplets from her face simultaneously. "Regina has lost a lot. Her fiancé was murdered by her mother in front of her when she was much younger."

"Ruby, what does this have to do…" The wolf cut her off, raising her voice slightly.

"She was forced into an arranged marriage as a political pawn in her mother's quest for power and then abused by her magical mentor. Neither was a gentle union, Emma." Ruby's hand clenched into a fist as she stopped herself from revealing to many details. Emma's heart jerked in sympathy for the wolf's helplessness to ease her friend's suffering.

"Her mother committed suicide in front of her. And in the past three years, she's watched you nearly die several times, and this is the second time you've had a total memory blackout." Ruby's fists turned white under the pressure.

Emma wanted to care. Tried to care. The emotions weren't there, but a slow burn of respect ignited in her chest. Regina was a survivor, too. Her eyes rolled from Ruby's hands to her face to find dark eyes studying the emotions dancing over her own features.

"Emma, you and Regina have a fairytale," she whispered, not bothering to hide the pain or jealousy in her voice. "You have the kind of love that people write legends about. You've overcome so much. If you think that you might want to try and get that back, don't push Regina away. She'll understand if you need time, but don't shut her out like you've been doing all evening."

"I almost kissed her this morning," Emma blurted without actually knowing why she mentioned the disaster in the kitchen. She'd wanted Regina, felt her body respond to Regina's. She got scared. Fear controlled her. Fear helped her survive. The world would surely have swallowed her by now if she hadn't kept running. How was she supposed to stop when every survival instinct demanded she flee?

Ruby snorted with a nod, "That explains a bit. Stop being so damn scared, you idiot. Just kiss the girl. You won't regret it." She smiled, but it never reached her eyes. How could it when her own True Love refused to answer her phone calls?

"Alright, Sebastian," Emma joked, uncomfortable with Ruby's ability to read her so well. Ruby's brow furrowed at the name. "Shit, seriously? You've never seen The Little Mermaid?"

"Uhh, I try not to watch movies about fairytales," Ruby explained in a clipped tone and pointed towards the kitchen. "Go."

Emma nodded with a smile of gratitude. Nothing made sense. Either Neal lied or Regina and Ruby lied. She knew Neal, but she felt the connection to these women in her heart. Her brain simply failed to remember. 10 years was a long time. Perhaps she'd crossed paths with Neal again without positive results. Why try and manipulate her, though?

Because she ran every chance she got. Emma sighed and glanced around the empty kitchen. The backdoor stood open a crack, so she followed. Neal feared she'd run if she found out that he fucked up again, and Regina stood willing to release a woman she clearly loved deeply. How the hell had she fallen into so much good luck?

"Regina?" she said softly and took a moment to study the other woman.

Regina held a glass of Amber liquid in one hand, a lit cigarette in the other, and stared into the blackness, made so by the clouds covering the moon. She dragged from the smoke and sipped the whiskey, releasing a hazy breath as the burn slid down her throat. The uncharacteristic behavior unnerved and attracted Emma at the same time.

Regina was proper and prim and immaculately presented almost every second of every day. Even now, she wore a black silk pajama suit. The tank top almost appeared tailored to fit her perfectly and the shorts maximized the appeal of her toned thighs without revealing too much to destroy the mystery of what lay beneath. Every pore in Regina's body emitted propriety and entitlement and control.

When Regina inhaled another breath of smoke, Emma found the courage to step closer. This version of Regina pulled her closer. "What about Annabel?" She asked near Regina's ear as their body heat mingled.

"She eats more than I can produce now anyway," Regina shrugged and sipped from the crystal tumbler, glass clinking loudly in the silence.

"So formula for a day or two?" Emma followed the unspoken thought.

Regina nodded, flipped the smoking butt into the yard and lit another. A hand ghosted over black, now shoulder-length hair. Regina needed her, but she knew nothing of how to comfort the other woman. Regina's complexity took her three years to unravel the first time, and she'd only know this woman for two weeks. Yet, her heart reached out for Regina's.

Neal was wrong, wasn't he? Surely she'd entered into this marriage willingly if she yearned for Regina even without her memories.

"It's not real," Regina said suddenly. Emma forgot their blood oath. Regina remembered every second. She understood why Emma felt connected to her without actually remembering her.

"What's not real?" Emma nudged gently.

"What you're feeling," the sorceress answered cryptically. Emma chewed her lip and studied Regina's profile as she inhaled and drank, exhaled with a sigh.

"It's real to me," Emma whispered. "My heart wants you, Regina. I just can't remember why, and that scares the hell out of me."

The truthful confession gave Regina a glimmer of hope. She squashed it with another gulp of apple-flavored liquor. She couldn't afford hope. Hope always ended in disappointment. She'd been hopeful when she legally and spiritually and magically tied herself to a woman she knew would be ripped from her over and over, prophecy or not. The pictures proved it, snapshot reminders of a brief moment of happiness.

Tiny little needles, they were. Each one shot a miniature harpoon into her heart, mocked her with a smile she'd never offer the world again. Emma was gone. Belle disappear who-knew-where. She could have been dead for all they knew. Her loyal wolf faded more each day. Eva and Lauren barely came over anymore. Amelia slowly slipped away in the throes of her own True Love.

Their family came apart one thread at a time, and she faltered. She faltered for one moment, the thick cord that held everyone in orbit. The energy and strength required to right her universe hinged on Emma's love for her. Karma ripped that from her, dangling the body and personality of her soul mate before her like some damn consolation prize.

"I'm tired," Regina whispered and tipped the rest of the alcohol into her mouth.

Emma touched her hair again and pressed her forehead to the side of Regina's. "Let's go to bed. Maybe you'll feel better in the morning." A waft of earthy scent filled Emma's nostrils.

"Gepetto?" Emma said and jerked back as flashes of the small shop in Salem crashed into her mind. Regina raised her head, hope rising despite her dark mood. Would she never learn? She'd become as laughable as Snow and her idiot.

"Your lotion," Emma clarified. "Sandalwood."

"That's right," Regina breathed and twisted her body into Emma's.

"You lived with me in Salem, not Boston," Emma grabbed her head as a sudden sharp pain tore through her temple.

"Yes," Regina confirmed. Fingers wrapped around Emma's biceps, digging painfully in excitement. "Yes, Emma. What else do you remember?"

"Regina, I…" Emma shook her head, blond curls bouncing side to side. "It's gone. That's it."

Her hands fell slowly as her eyes raised. Beautiful brown searched her, felt her, knew her. Those eyes. Those eyes. "Regina," her words came slowly as the band of tension loosened around them.

"Regina," Emma whispered again.

"I'm right here, Darling," she assured and accepted the shocked woman into her arms.

That light scent surrounded her, pulled her in, and Emma's hair still smelled like strawberries. Calloused hands caught on silk as Emma slid them around Regina's waist. Her heart remembered, and Regina fit so well. Her face slid into the skin of Emma's neck, warm lips brushing without pressure. It wasn't a kiss.

And yet, it was there. Emma shuddered and tilted her cheek against Regina's. Small, warm hands heated her chest where the short fingernails dug in slightly. She should have run. Fear should have taken over again as it had earlier that day, but she remembered that scent. Neal's warnings melted away in that embrace. She should have been wary, paranoid.

But Regina smelled like sandalwood lotion and her hands warmed chest. Liquor-spiced puffs of air caressed her neck, and her body shuddered in response. For the sake of knowing, she rubbed her cheek against Regina's. Smooth skin slid easily, free of stubble and resistance. She was so soft, so feminine, so fragile.

Emma pulled back slightly, magic tingling in her fingertips. Regina felt it, too. The desire to take care of her, protect her, shield her swelled and flowed within the wounded savior. Brown studied green that studied her right back. Something changed the moment Emma caught that lingering scent.

She shouldn't trust this moment, Regina knew. Emma stared down at her with wide, honest eyes. Even breaths pressed against her chest. Emma fought the fear. Regina followed.

"Regina, did you give me permission to have sex with Amelia?" She whispered.

Regina laughed and dropped her forehead to Emma's shoulder. "Should I be concerned about my ability if you've remember your dalliance with Amelia before you've recalled my touch?"

Emma stiffened, and Regina raised her head as the tension squeezed them once more. "Darling, what is it?"

Emma averted her gaze. Neal told the truth. "Who is Annabel's father?" She demanded, voice edged with anger.

"She has no father, Emma," Regina explained without actually explaining anything.

"So, you were artificially inseminated?"

"No, not exactly."

"Why would you tell me to have an affair?" Emma demanded, the rapid question and answer coming to an abrupt standstill.

Regina sputtered, opened her mouth, closed it. "It was a very complicated situation, Emma. I promise to explain everything soon."

"No," Emma jerked away and turned her back, gripping her bony hips. Had she always been this thin?

"Tell me now. I want to know right now."

"Emma, I nearly died giving birth to Annabel. You were upset and hurting and your body and mind craved sex." Warm hands slid over taut shoulders, and Emma gritted her teeth.

"I couldn't give you what you needed in order to cope, Darling," Regina pushed forward when Emma stepped away.

Emma whirled, fire bright and burning in those green eyes. Regina paused, not willing to risk being burned by that flame. "That makes no sense. I don't cope with stress like that. Self-destruct, go days without sleeping, yes, but I don't cheat on my partners."

"Emma," Regina begged and reached for her struggling wife. "Okay, this is a bit fantastical, but I swear it is the truth. You may ask anyone to corroborate my story."

Emma stared expectantly, waving fervently when Regina paused too long to collect her thoughts.

"In order to understand, I must first tell you about heart magic." Her hand sunk into her chest and pulled her life organ free from it's protective cage. Emma's mouth dropped open. She reached for the heart, curiosity trumping her anger. Regina patiently intervened.

"You mustn't touch. When you touch a person's heart, you feel what they feel for you. This happens randomly in nature, but the heart contains the undiluted, pure emotion that is neither polluted nor dulled by one's inability to express it properly. Understand?"

The organ pulsed, and Emma reached for it again. "Emma, please, find your control. If you touch this heart, you will never know if what you feel is real or a lingering wisp of what this tiny, blackened organ will make you feel." Regina almost wished that Emma acted like her brash, impatient Emma and jerked the heart from her hand. She couldn't crush it, it'd been protected by Amelia's potion.

The savior clasped her hands behind her back in a show of obedience. "What will I feel?"

One side of Regina's mouth quirked upwards as she watched the neon pulses of love and compassion and goodness beating against the darkness of her heart. "True Love." Emma told her once that she had equal parts of light and dark within, and she decided which one to nourish and which to starve.

"Regina!" Ruby's frantic voice called from within the house.

The wolf banged through the door and stumbled onto the deck, barely maintaining her equilibrium. "I'm sorry, that looks really important," she acknowledge and shoved the heart into Regina's chest.

"We have to go now. The diner is on fire. Bethany just called. She and Granny are stuck in Granny's apartment." Regina only stared dumbly, her mind scrambling to keep up with the flow of words.

"Regina!" She shook her shoulders roughly, jostling her head with the force. "Poof to Granny's living room now!"

"Emma?" The blonde nodded and took a step back.

"I'll call Eva and Lauren and Mary Margaret and David and have them come over." She said and moved towards the door to retrieve her phone.

Regina gathered her magic and flashed away. Smoke immediately filled her lungs before they completely materialized in Granny's living room. Ruby covered her mouth and nose with her thin shirt and pulled her forward, using her wolf eyes to guide them through the haze.

"Granny! Bethany!" She called.

Regina covered her mouth and nose with her silk top and squinted against the sting in her eyes. Flames shot up from the floor. The diner was gone. Regina focused on saving the woman they both considered a mother.

"Ruby!" Bethany called from Granny's bedroom. It was at the back of the apartment, farthest from the rooms at the inn and dining room. Ruby jerked her forward, and she stumbled. The floor shifted beneath them and Regina flashed to Granny's bedroom before the sudden rush of heat completely scorched her bare feet.

Bethany sat huddled in a corner on the other side of the bed with Granny propped against her. The elder Lucas' disheveled clothes told Regina that Bethany managed to drag her away from immediate danger when she'd passed out from smoke inhalation. She sent up a silent prayer that it wasn't another heart attack.

"Bethany, hold onto me," Regina ordered, and the girl stared up at her with positively terrified eyes that looked so much like Belle's.

"Fine, stay here and die if you don't want magic to save you," Regina huffed and touched Granny's shoulder, her other hand clinging tightly to her wolf's.

Bethany grabbed her shoulder at the last second and glommed on for the ride. She coughed and sputtered as they landed on the damp sidewalk on the other side of the diner. Ruby immediately sprinted towards the ambulance just arriving and directed them to Granny.

"Beth, are you okay?" Regina asked the shocked French still holding tightly onto the matriarch nearly everyone in town loved and respected.

"Regina!" David called as he jumped from his truck and sprinted to Granny without closing his door.

"What happened?" He demanded, the desire to drop to his knees and hug the old woman evident in his eyes. He stood on shaking legs filled with adrenaline as Ruby dropped to her knees and touched her grandmother's face.

"Granny!" Her voice quivered, and Regina bowed her head.

_Please, not like this. _She sent up a silent prayer. They weren't miracle workers, not everything could be controlled.

"Granny!" Ruby called again and grabbed the woman's neck. "Regina, she's not breathing!" The wolf's hysterical tone more than her words told Regina that Ruby stood 30 seconds from a panic attack.

"Move!" A firm female voice ordered. Regina wrapped her arms around Ruby's and pulled her back from her grandmother.

"Regina, she's not breathing!" Ruby struggled, and David and Bethany joined the witch in the Olympic event of containing a panicked werewolf.

"I know, Baby," Regina said softly into her ear. "Let them do their jobs. We can do no more. Have faith, Wolf Pup."

Ruby grabbed Regina's arm over her chest and squeezed painfully. David rubbed the girl's back. And that's what Ruby was right now. A girl who still needed her grandmother's guidance.

"David," Regina caught the man's attention. "Get a statement from Bethany. I want to know what happened as soon as possible." Her tone told her father-in-law that Queen Regina just made an appearance despite the bare feet and pajamas.

"I don't know what happened," Bethany said before being asked and rubbed Ruby's shoulder. She understood. Granny had become important to her, too, in the past month. The woman often invited her to the apartment for dinner and spoke with her as though her mistakes were forgivable offences even though her anger clearly showed.

"I heard a window break in the diner, and then there was some sort of explosion. It spread so quickly that I barely had time to arrive at Granny's apartment before we were trapped completely." Bethany's usual regal voice and haughty demeanor gave way to the quivering voice of a terrified girl.

"Got her!" Dawson yelled and slid an oxygen mask over Granny's face. "Shay, let's move." David stepped forward and helped the paramedics load the still unconscious woman onto the gurney and then stepped out of their way.

"Regina, let me go!" Ruby screamed, and Regina allowed the wolf to hop into the back of the ambulance with Dawson.

"Madame Regina," Mike, the fire chief, called once the ambulance sped off. "We can contain the flames, but…"

Regina nodded, "I know it's gone. Please call me when you have extinguished the flames and determined the cause. Thank you, Michael." Regina touched his shoulder and nodded. The man returned the curt gesture and returned to his crew.

Regina watched him for a moment and then turned watery eyes to the burning building. A thousand memories flickered with the structure and flashed in the flames. She watched them disappear. Anger followed the moment of despair. They'd not just taken Ruby's soul mate, but they just destroyed her livelihood. That diner was as much a part of Ruby as her family. It was comparable to a living being for the wolf, her solace, her safe place, the place that took all of her worries as she lost herself in the work.

A darker thought crossed her mind, eliciting fear and grief and rage and sliver of vengeance. Granny might not make it. If she did, what ramifications would her aged body suffer from the carbon monoxide inhalation. She turned her back on the flames, the heat caressing her even at this distance.

"David, you can do no more here until the flames have been extinguished. Please take Bethany to the hospital for a complete exam. She's inhaled quite a bit of smoke." She grasped the girl's shoulder as she spoke. If Granny survived, they owed Bethany a debt of gratitude that could not be repaid.

"Thank you," she said sincerely, a tremor in her voice belying the fear she masked. "The diner can be replaced. Granny cannot. Thank you." Bethany nodded and wordlessly followed David to his truck.

Regina flashed to the mansion. They'd finally been attacked directly instead of their friends. Granny was no doubt meant to die this night. She snagged her phone from the nightstand and dialed as she descended the stairs.

Belle's accented voice floated into her ear. Regina impatiently waited for the voicemail greeting to end and stopped at the bottom of the stairs. "Bookworm, you need to come home. Someone burned down the diner. Granny is at the hospital. She might not make it. Ruby needs you right now." She paused and took a shuddering breath, fighting down tears of rage and fear. "We all need you right now. Please Belle, come home."

* * *

At the corner of the library, two figures watched the diner burn. The man glanced down at his partner with a giddy glint in his eyes that reflected the flames across the street. She glared up at him.

"This is not what I signed up to do. Granny and Bethany have no magic," she seethed, guilt and anger evident in her tone.

"They must pay for what she did," he reminded her and turned away from the diner, disappeared behind the dark side of the library.

"They haven't hurt anyone!" She reminded him in a harsh whisper as she followed.

"They condone it!" Her head snapped to the side under the force of the back of his hand upon her cheek.

A shocked breath whooshed from her lungs. He'd never struck her before. "I need to know if you can do this. If not, tell me now, and you can join them when I enact my final punishment. They all must die, even their insipid, sniveling brats."

Her head banged against the wall, and she struggled in his grasp. The fight left her when cold steel pressed against her throat. "You know too much, which means you have to make a decision. Die now or keep your mouth shut."

She refrained from swallowing, afraid the blade might slice her from the movement. "Are you with me?" He breathed into her ear.

Her body shuddered. He didn't mean it. He wouldn't kill her. He loved her. "Yes," she answered confidently. The cold metal disappeared, replaced with warm lips.

A bulge in his pants rubbed against her crotch, and she shuddered. She cared for them, but for him, she could betray them. He was everything, and in just a few more weeks, he promised they'd be together forever. She felt safe in his arms. Just a few more weeks.

A violent shudder tore through her as the cold night air brushed against her scorching center. He'd not be gentle, rarely was after setting a fire. She accepted him, allowed him to press her against the side of the library, not 200 yards from the destruction they'd wrought.

When Belle returned, they'd complete their mission. Make her pay for her crimes. Teeth sank into his shoulder, muffling a cry of pain against the pounding between her legs.

Just a few more weeks.


	20. If Love could have Saved You

Thanks for the reviews, My Sweets. This one just flew from my fingertips, so I thought I'd give you a special treat.

Enjoy!

Songs: Fix Me by Icon for Hire, Release Me by Nemesea

* * *

_**21 Days After Belle's Departure**_

"Did you try to call her again?" Ruby asked as Regina, Emma, Katy, and Henry rounded the corner to Granny's room. The wolf lay sprawled over her grandmother, face turned from the entrance. She must have tracked them down the hall.

"I called, but it went straight to voicemail. She hasn't turned her phone on yet, Wolf Pup," Regina said gently and glanced at bleary-eyed Bethany on the other side of Granny's bed. She'd stayed the entire night with the Lucas women.

She rubbed her hands over Ruby's shoulders. "Do you want me to hold Granny a while? You could get a couple hours of sleep."

Ruby shook her head. "No, she held me my entire life, and if she's going to die, I want her to know how much I love her."

Ruby wiped silent tears and glanced at Bethany who crossed her legs and wiped her own in a similarly embarrassed manner as The Queen. "Granny coded twice last night," the girl explained.

Regina sucked a breath wet and ragged with tears. "You should have called," she whispered, afraid to speak louder for fear of losing control of her emotions.

Ruby shook her head and readjusted her grip around Granny's waist. "You needed to be home with the kids in case someone came after us again." She sniffed, unable to wipe her tears, the grief too fresh. Her hands too occupied with more precious things.

Her shoulders shook lightly. "Why are…" she hiccupped. "Why are they doing this?"

Regina sat on the edge of Granny's bed and smoothed her hand over Ruby's hair. "I don't know." She wished she knew who she'd wronged this time. A part of her gladly surrendered herself to whatever this unknown person wanted, and the other part plotted his or her slow and painful death.

"Regina," she whispered, exhaustion and grief stealing the strength of her voice. Regina scratched at her scalp and waited. She knew Ruby's pain, but the wolf needed to break down right now.

"I want Belle," she breathed. It was the first time she'd really admitted how much she needed the other woman, how much her absence affected her. Everything to this point portrayed bluster and courage and bravery and valiant attempts at self-improvements that she believed would make Belle more proud of her. That statement was the first truth she'd uttered since Belle left three weeks ago. Ruby turned her face into Granny's thigh and sobbed.

Regina's eyes rolled towards the ceiling in attempt to stave off her own tears. "I know, Sweetheart." Everything hurt. What else could she have said? She played with her long, silky hair and breathed deeply.

"Regina?" The muffled, anguished call came in between gasps. Her hand stilled a moment and then tucked hair behind the wolf's ear. "The diner?"

The witch squeezed her shoulder and leaned over to press a kiss to the back of her head. "It can be rebuilt," she whispered. A heartbroken sob clawed at her soul. Ruby was broken. She couldn't have taken anything more. Rage flared.

"I spoke with Marco last night," she continued, letting Ruby know that she accepted an equal share of this burden. "He started the plans last night. There are original blueprints of every building in Town Hall. David and Michael are releasing the building to be torn down this afternoon. Marco will start immediately."

Ruby turned her head towards Regina's thigh. "We have to wait for the insurance money to come through. I can't pay him. Belle probably had enough saved up for that, but she cleaned out her account the day before she left."

Regina wiped her tears patiently and rubbed her hot, splotchy cheek with a soft thumb. "Don't worry about the money, Sweetheart. By the time Granny gets out of here, we'll have her a brand new living room and television to yell at during Wheel of Fortune."

Ruby snorted. "She hates that show. She likes CSI, though. I probably could pass myself off as one by now, I've watched so many reruns during the 28 year groundhog day."

Regina chuckled and pushed trimmed nails into Ruby's multicolored hair. The red streak needed redone. "CSI Lucas. You did well when you acted as sheriff during Emma's recovery."

Ruby snorted, "I'm not sure chasing imaginary prowlers from Ms. Ginger's garden qualifies as real police work." That woman needed some type of anxiety medication, though Emma always enjoyed her calls.

"Hey," an accented voice floated from the door, and everyone but Emma jerked with hope and a flicker of joy. Tinker Bell froze immediately, and held up her hands in surrender. "Sorry, I'm not her," she said sadly, knowing everyone expected Belle, even though their accents were different.

"Good morning, Tink," Katy greeted, taking the pressure from her guardians.

She nodded to the girl. "Hello Katy. I… I'm not staying. I just wanted to drop off these flowers for Granny." She held up a vase of flowers tucked under one arm and then set them on the side table. "Marco is calling for laborers to help put the diner back together. I won't make as much on minimum wage, but it'll get me by until we can get started again." She smiled at Ruby who finally raised her head.

Ruby smiled at the clumsy former fairy who kept catching things on fire, including herself. "I still have all of that catering equipment from Regina and Emma's wedding in the shed at the mansion. I'll put out the word and see if anything comes up. You'll be my first call for help."

Tink nodded gratefully. "Thanks Ruby," she nodded. "I'm going to go help Marco gather materials from the hardware store. Tell Granny…" she swallowed thickly. "Just tell her I stopped by. She loathes sentimental ramblings." They all smiled at that.

Ruby nodded. "Thanks Tink." The former fairy lingered, face pinched with emotion.

She nodded once, "Sure." Shook her head clear of the image of Granny in that bed, pale and fragile and jacked into every machine possible. "Marco says it might only take a few weeks to get the diner finished if we order all the materials today and get enough folks to help out. We're starting around two after it's officially released, so decide by then if you want to change anything."

"Uhhh," Ruby sputtered. "Just that hideous wallpaper. Drywall with maybe a pale yellow paint and uhhh, some type of badass wolf trim." She grinned as did Regina. She'd unconsciously decided to paint the walls of the new diner a combination of her and Belle.

"I couldn't agree more," Amelia proclaimed as she arrived. "That grey and white forest wallpaper is a disaster." She tried desperately to contain her smile, but her obvious good mood slid into the room and wrapped itself around the grieving family, lightening their load just a bit.

"Could you try not to be so damn happy, Dr. Shepherd," Emma sniped and crossed her arms over her chest. Except maybe Emma's mood. What about the surgeon irritated her so much?

"Sorry, Emma," she sobered and extended her hand, the intention of touching her arm obvious. Emma moved away, putting Katy in between them.

Amelia narrowed her eyes, an unidentifiable emotion passing through that dark chocolate. The moment melted quickly when Regina cleared her throat and raised her chin expectantly. "Brain functions are fine from what I can tell. Won't know more until she wakes up."

She spoke to the entire room, but her eyes studied Emma's profile and then her back when she turned it. "You remember, don't you?" Emma's shoulders tightened with tension. No, she hadn't actually remember, and Regina's explanation of events got cut short the previous night.

Anger flared in Emma's chest, and magic tingled at her fingertips. She wanted justice. Had she always been this person? Amelia jumped with a tiny shriek when she whipped around and pinned her in place with hard eyes. "Where the hell were you last night, Amelia? Say, around 10?"

Amelia glanced from gaze to gaze anxiously. Regina's eyes caught the same curious glaze as Emma's. Ruby simply watched. Katy crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the floor. Bethany sat to the edge of her chair. Everyone wanted to know her answer.

"Seriously? Since when can't you trust me? I live in your house," Amelia sputtered, completely wounded by the silent accusations.

"Ruby caught your scent at the station, Amelia," Emma continued. "You've been disappearing for days at a time, coming in at all hours of the night. We don't know where you are. Plus, no one randomly appeared with intense joint pain from your wolf potion. They keep telling me that I can trust you, and yet, I don't." Emma crossed her arms over her chest as she spoke and moved, unconsciously settling herself between Amelia and Regina.

"You have got to be joking. Seriously, Emma!" Amelia threw her hands in the air and turned her back, head shaking back and forth in disbelief. She turned to walk away, but Emma grabbed her shoulder and spun her towards the room.

"I'm not joking, and that's not an explanation," Emma seethed. Magic tickled her palms, and Amelia felt it in her shoulders.

She wrenched them free of her friend's grasp. "Keep that shit away from me. I've seen what it can do when you have no control." Shaking arms crossed over her belly, comforting herself.

"I've been out with Caleb a lot, but I also bought a house," she spat, taking a modicum of pleasure in making an ass out of Emma in that moment. "I wasn't going to tell anyone until it was completely finished and furnished. Happy fucking surprise. Amelia grew up." She wiped furiously at tears of pain and betrayal and laughed harshly, mostly at herself.

"I was here at the hospital last night doing an emergency craniotomy on a patient. Check with Eva if you don't believe me. Check the pager log at the nurse's station. I arrived around 9:30, finished the surgery and paperwork a few hours later. I slept in the common room because I passed out on top of my paperwork."

She turned to leave, stopped, flung her arms around Emma's shoulders. "I know you don't remember me, Emma, at least not the friend I became, but I'd never betray you." Emma almost returned the hug, but Amelia pulled away. "The rest of you have no excuse. So, fuck you all." She stalked down the hallway, tears falling faster than she could wipe them.

Regina slid from the bed in a huff, "Damn it, Emma, I told you that Amelia would never turn on us."

Emma whirled on her wife, "Well, someone did! How else would they know the stuff they know? I've looked at the case notes my older self took. She suspected several people, one is still in this room." Angry green eyes flitted to Bethany needlessly; they all knew who Emma suspected.

Regina recoiled from the confrontation. Emma rarely raised her voice to her, and rarer still in anger, never when the anger was directed towards her. The brand new experience reminded her that this Emma was erratic, unpredictable. By the time she recovered, Emma had already stomped halfway down the hall.

"Emma suspected Amelia?" Ruby squinted up at Regina who shrugged.

"Who knows how she's interpreted the information Emma provided. I've read her reports for years, and some of them only make sense to Emma. She writes them the way she thinks instead of fluidly." Regina's heart broke a little bit for her tortured wife. She knew why Emma practically hissed when Amelia walked into the room, but that secret remained between her and the Emma she married. She reminded her of Casey, and having only lost her best friend a little over a week ago, Emma struggled to accept the similar presence in her life.

"I'll look out for her," Katy offered without preamble as Katy often did. "Until we know who is threatening us, none should wander off alone." She adjusted the strap between her breasts, which Regina only now noticed weren't uncomfortably contained by tight sports bras. Beauty and danger rolled off the girl in waves as Captain's old sword bobbed on her back.

"I think she's dating Jacob," Henry finally spoke up. Regina chuckled, remembering her harsh treatment of the teenager she'd known as a boy at the youth center several weeks ago. It felt like a lifetime ago.

Regina pulled her son into a hug, finding her strength as his gangly arms wrapped around her waist. His hugs were still one of the most magical things she'd ever experienced. She kissed his forehead and rubbed at the lipstick imprint left behind. "Do you want to read to Granny?"

He nodded and showed Ruby the book he'd brought. "I read it to you after you were kidnapped by Cora. She thought it was funny but didn't want anyone to know." His voice cracked and screeched, but he sounded like that little boy he'd been two years ago who sought understanding of why his mothers had fallen in love.

"Treasure Island. I remember. Belle gave it to you," Ruby said sadly and patted the bed at Granny's feet. She, more than anyone, understood Regina's anguish. Belle lost her memories shortly after they'd made love the first time. At the time, they believed it impossible to recover them once one had crossed the line.

Regina rolled her eyes when her phone blasted that hideous song of techno pop that conjured images of grown men behaving like horses. What had Ruby called it? Gangnam Style. Henry cackled. Ruby actually cracked a smile that reached her eyes. Regina's heart pounded in her ears as she stared at the her caller id.

She poked the speaker phone icon and answered quickly, "Belle?"

"Hi Regina," the timid accented voice of her friend filtered into the room.

"Baby, where are you?" Ruby almost wrenched the phone from her hand. Silence. "Belle?" A wet, emotional voice strained and received scratching on the other end for its effort.

"Belle, are you okay?" Regina safely asked. Clearly, Belle hadn't wanted to be found.

"I'm perfectly fine. I'm… well, actually, I'm not exactly sure where I am right now." She laughed, and Ruby bowed her head. She sounded good, better. "I'm in the sleeper of an 18 wheeler. Paul has allowed me to travel with him for several days now."

Silence. The rumbling of an air brake. "How's Granny?"

"Baby, she inhaled a lot of smoke. They have a tube down her throat to keep it from closing up. She burned her throat, but Eva says if we can get her through the first 72 hours, she has a good chance of making a full recovery." Ruby recounted her grandmother's condition, unable to hide the tears in her voice.

"Belle," Regina jumped in immediately. "A lot has happened since you've been gone."

"Is the diner gone?" Belle interrupted, a slight quiver in her voice. Ruby swallowed and returned her cheek to Granny's thigh, unable to say more to her lover. She was alive and sounded well. It was a small relief, but it was relief.

"It's gone. Marco is starting the deconstruction today, and there is a good possibility that Ruby and Granny could have a brand new diner within the month." Regina offered hopefully.

"That's good," came the reply, and Regina swore she saw Belle nodded her head with that distance gaze in her sparkling blue eyes as her mind sprinted a million miles a minute with possibilities. "Alex?"

Ruby sat up and grabbed the phone, taking it from speaker. "Belle, she can't sleep, and neither can I." She dropped her hand into her head, completely defeated by whatever was being said that no one else in the room could hear.

"Ruby, I'm sorry. I've not slept much myself," Belle admitted hesitantly. She missed Storybrooke. She missed her daughter. "I can't come home yet."

Ruby covered her eyes, but the quiver in her chin betrayed the hidden tears. "Why? Baby, why can't you come home? I don't expect anything. Stay at the library. Hell, stay at the house and I'll stay at the library. Just come home." Ruby begged, and everyone pretended they hadn't heard it.

"I can't, Ruby," Belle repeated.

"Why?" The wolf dropped her face to the crook of her arm, muffling her words to those in the room. Regina almost wished they cut them off completely as Ruby continued speaking. "I feel you all the time, Belle. Your heart is in my chest. You don't have to feel anything out there, but I have to feel you all the fucking time."

Ruby's shoulders shook with audible gasps and sobs. The poor woman must be dehydrated from the amount of tears she'd shed in the past 12 hours. "This isn't fair to me, Belle. I know I messed up, but this is a level of torture that beats Cora's heart in my chest by a landslide."

"I'm sorry. I know this isn't fair, but I need this, Sweetheart," Belle softened, allowing tears of her own to slip into her voice. "I miss you, too, and Alex… well, everyone, really."

Ruby smiled slightly. It was something. "Regina took over The Council. She got you pardoned for everything."

Silence. "Babe?"

Scratching. "I'm listening," Belle assured her wounded lover. She wanted Ruby desperately, thought every night about running back to Storybrooke as quickly as possible, and then she dreamed about a wolf with Ruby's beautiful brown eyes raping her.

She'd never considered her relationship in terms of bestiality before but now mildly understood the odd gazes when she sported scratch marks in public. She was in love with a werewolf, what exactly had she expected folks to think? Even now, the whole in her chest ached for her heart, for Ruby's lips upon her, that soft skin beneath her fingertips. Love and attraction had never been the issue between them. If love could have saved them, they'd never have suffered one moment.

She wasn't ready. Everyone worried and missed her and her daughter probably had issues beyond repair and clearly they needed her, but she wasn't ready. This transgression required distance and patience and self-reflection before forgiveness became possible. Ruby's mistake awakened a primal fear that had always lingered in the back of her mind. What happened when Ruby lost control and she said no? Now, she knew.

And now she's speaking, and Belle lost the first sentence. "Lauren is teaching me meditations, and Granny has been spending a lot of time in the woods with me."

"Does it work?" She asked, urging the wolf forward to give herself a chance to catch up to the conversation.

Ruby nodded uselessly. "It's helping me keep control of the wolf. I can't believe how many little tricks Granny knows about controlling it and accepting it. Trust me when I say that I've never been more stressed out than I am right now, and I haven't wolfed out once." Pride laced her voice.

And Belle's smile laced hers, "That's fantastic, Sweetheart. I'm glad you're finally learning real control."

"Baby, when are you coming home?" Ruby asked, not sure she wanted to know the answer. The brief moment of giddiness left both women.

Belle sighed deeply. Ruby's face scrunched at a deep, rumbling murmur in the background. "Ruby, we're coming up on a dead zone for cell phones."

"No, wait. Please, Belle, when are you coming home?"

"Tell Alex that Mama says hello and that I love her more than anything and that I'm out here right now fixing myself so that I can be there for her." Belle spouted quickly.

"Belle, when are you coming home?" Panic cranked her voice an octave.

"Tell her Ruby. Promise me you'll tell her." Belle's didn't sound much better.

"I promise. Belle, when are you coming home?" Silence. Scratching.

"When I figure out how to forgive you," Belle answered honestly. Ruby wanted to say more, but no words filled her mind. Silence stretched a few minutes. That same male rumble. Scratching. "I love you, Ruby Luc..." The phone beeped, indicating the call dropped out. They must have hit the dead spot.

"I love you, too," she whispered and pressed a hand to her heart, hoping Belle felt her wherever she was. Belle was okay. She was alive and … hitchhiking with truckers? The thought tugged at the corners of her mouth. Of course she was.

"Wolf Pup?" Regina said cautiously, well-aware that this particular volatile situation teetered on the edge of a celebration or a grief bomb.

"I'm okay." Ruby handed her the phone without raising her chin from her chest. "I'm okay," she repeated and nodded without opening her eyes. "She's okay."

Deep ragged breaths shook her chest and flowed slowly through her lips as Ruby gained control of her emotions. "She's okay." She nodded to herself, took a shuddering breath, released it. "She's okay."

She'd practice different meditations for nearly a month, but as the cool, disinfectant-scented air filled her lungs, she felt for the first time since Emma's accident that she could actually breathe. Belle was out there, forgiving her, healing. She would come home. One day.

* * *

Emma didn't stop until she reached that same jogging path and the peaceful trickle of the river. She kept screwing up. She'd never learned how to keep her mouth shut. A frustrated cry tore from her throat as she kicked at the grass and then collapsed into it. Knees spread wide, she propped her elbows and held both sides of her head.

Guilt knotted her stomach, and she swallowed against it in vain. Her intention to find the truth ostracized a woman her family cared for dearly, and these insane attacks created enough paranoia that they'd allowed it. Who was she supposed to trust? She hadn't know any of these women for more than a couple of weeks, not really, not beyond random flashes of memories and strong emotional pulls.

"You're early," Neal called, nearly scaring the piss out of her. He chuckled at her deep scowl and sat behind her, tugging at her arms until she leaned against his chest.

"Do you have nothing better to do than walk around in the woods all day or are you stalking me?" Emma groused, secretly happy that he'd stumbled upon their meeting spot a few hours earlier than planned.

"No to both," he rumbled, vibrating her back deliciously. "I was actually meeting another friend here this morning."

"Oh? You have a friend?" She jabbed wanly, her mood fowler than normal.

He clicked his tongue and then turned her head with both hands. Another man with black hair and olive skin came into view. "Emma, meet Jason. He and I have been working together for a few months now."

"Hey Jason," she grumbled and pulled herself upright. He followed and wrapped an arm around her waist. So, a coworker. Not really the same thing as a… What the hell?"

She never saw the needle. Barely felt the prick in her arm. Her head rushed immediately, body going warm and limp. "This is a pretty potent sedative that I made a long time ago. I found some in my father's shop. She's awake and able to speak somewhat, but her body is completely useless," Neal explained to the other man.

He adjusted her dead weight against him. The sun burned her eyes. She tried to close them, but her eyelids felt so heavy. "She loved her heroine, so make sure to give her a slightly larger dose than normal. Her immunity builds fast, so get her out of Storybrooke and keep her cuffed until she calms."

Jason knelt in front of her as she struggled to remain awake. How large had that dose been? "I'm well versed in Emma Swan," he said, leering down at her.

"Neal," she murmured. "Why?" Why wouldn't her eyes focus? Her voice sounded thick and deep and incredibly slow, like a sleepy giant.

"Because Jason here is the cop who helped me get out of jail, and now he's going to file an official report of abuse and neglect against his old family friends Emma and Regina Swan." The men laughed and shook hands.

Emma felt sick. "You want Henry." Sure, she cared little for children, but they shouldn't be ripped away from their families, especially one with as much love as this one.

He shoved her away roughly, and she rolled onto the grass, unable to catch herself. Part of her face pressed into the blessedly cool grass. At least the sun stopped blinding her. "Well, I certainly don't want _you_."

Panic swelled. She couldn't see them anymore. What were they doing? Laughter slipped into her ear. "I'd forgotten how gullible and naive she could be. She definitely grew out of that, so enjoy this while you can."

"Oh I plan to," Jason said to her more than Neal. Bile crept up her throat in response to the sensation of his hand on her breast as he pulled her into a sitting position. "I plan to enjoy every single moment."

"Regina," Emma called weakly. She'd been stupid. Regina had protected her from Neal, not kept her from him. Stupid, stupid girl. "Regina!"

A hand clamped over her mouth, and she dutifully closed it, fearing another blow to the head. Amelia said her brain couldn't take much more. She'd be good, and then she'd kill this bastard.

_Regina, I'm sorry. _


	21. Finish It

Enjoy Lovelies!

Songs: Think I'm Sick by Icon for Hire

* * *

Katy froze. She saw Emma's limp body. Heard the suggestive undertones of rape in Emma's future. Marion's sword felt delightful in her hand. With a steadying breath, everything else faded away except the mission. Remember the mission, Marion's voice echoed inside her head. The thought paralyzed her momentarily. This was her mission, hers alone.

"Hey!" She startled the men. Start with a good bluff, she recalled.

"Put her down and walk away and perhaps I'll let you keep all your limbs," she threatened. Emma mumbled incoherently over the darker man's shoulder. Who the hell were these guys? She recognized The Dark One's son, but the other man's presence baffled her.

"Hey pipsqueak, beat it and I won't take you, too. I have a thing for fit blondes," his nose wrinkled as he spoke. He mocked her. He underestimated her.

The men stepped closer, seemingly unafraid. Katy sneered. With one quick step forward, she spun and crouched at the same time, sword perfectly arched to catch the man's leg. Her free hand touched the ground once, pushing her backwards into a defensive stance. It happened in less than a second, and the man nearly dropped Emma with a howl of pain.

A dark grin spread on her face. "I said let her go," she demanded. Her voice, naturally deep and raspy, dripped with poison. She posed to strike, a snake in her element.

Neal held his hands up appeasing the tiny young warrior. "This must be the one they adopted. You want her, too?" He glanced at the other man holding Emma.

Katy struck again, spinning the opposite direction. Neal hit the ground, holding his busted knee. He'd be lucky to walk on it again. Blood spurted onto the paved walk, and she almost lost focus to watch the liquid spill.

"Let her go," she demanded as she reset her stance within two seconds of moving.

She stepped carefully, removing herself from the reach of the man she downed. Her heart pounded, pulsing adrenaline into her veins. It calmed her, focused her mind. Her thoughts cleared, trusting her training, trusting Marion's guidance. These weren't people, they were opponents. Nothing more. She must not feel or she shall fall.

Keeping Neal in her peripheral, Katy maneuvered to stand between the other man and his escape route. If he fled to the forest, she'd overtake him within seconds. He stared without fear. He either underwent training of his own or suffered from insanity. His dark eyes searched hers, and she held her ground. That lack of fear almost surprised her. Marion built her for this.

"Hey!" Neal shouted. The glint of black steel blared a warning bell. She crouched, pulling the knife at her back that Belle insisted they all carry just in case. Her body spun, eyes catching her target a moment before the knife flew from her fingers, a moment before an explosion sent a metal projectile in her direction.

Neal hit the ground gasping, the knife lodged in his adam's apple, her aim true. He'd not recover. Her mind registered the grass beneath her fingers before to burning pain on her back. Why was she lying down? Get up. Move!

The burn spread from her left hip to her right shoulder. The bullet grazed her, knocked her down. She gritted her teeth against the pain and observed her surroundings. The other man had disappeared. Hard hazel eyes glared down the path where he sprinted with Emma over his shoulders.

One hand grabbed her dropped sword, and the other fished her phone from her pocket. She hit Regina's number and then took off in a full out sprint, flesh pulling and stretching. Her mind numbed it, pushed it away.

"Regina, someone's kidnapping Emma! I think they're headed for the town line," she screamed into the phone the second Regina answered. "Get there just in case I can't stop him here."

The phone nestled into her pocket without ending the call. Her steps cut across the park as fast as her nimble body could fly. That bastard wasn't taking Emma, not like this. His intended fate for her adoptive mother made hell look appealing, keeping a woman drugged to rape her. That was to be Emma's fate, and she may have sealed hers by killing The Dark One's son.

It didn't matter. The mission mattered. Sacrifices were always made in the name of righteousness. Her body flew from the four foot stone wall separating the park from the sidewalk and street as the man's car screeched onto the black top. A battle cry tore from her lips, alerting unsuspecting store owners of her chase. She flew.

Her body tucked and rolled instinctively. The bullet graze scraped the road, her ruined shirt useless against the rough grain of blacktop. She grunted with the pain, and skidded to a crouch on sure and steady feet. She bowed her head for one second, calming the nerves the pain frazzled. Sacrifice, Marion's deep voice soothed her.

People stepped on the sidewalk to watch Katy Swan face down a car. Her body propelled forward like an Olympic sprinter, directly challenging the machine as it gained speed before her mind told her not to be stupid.

The scent of charcoal brushed against her cheek from the destroyed diner, spurring her forward. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Her mind cleared, leaving a blissful sense of duty as her strong legs sent her airborne once more. One hand braced on the butt of her weapon and the other gripping the hilt, she leapt at the car, aiming for the driver with the instrument of death.

Her body collided with the windshield and fell through, crashing into the leather in rain of glass and blood. The sword wobbled in his shoulder. Her eyes focused on the gentle movement as her mind searched for clarity. Pain broke against her body, splashing violently in the storm. A hand reached for the hilt, and she recognized it as her own.

A tiny jab in her forearm pulled her attention from those bloody fingers. The sedative they'd given Emma burned into her veins, and the man grinned lasciviously. He ended up with two after all. Tires screeched. Her body fell numb, useless, lurching against the door as the abrupt motion of the vehicle flung her about.

"Em," she muttered.

"Yeah," Emma answered from the backseat. "It's okay. Just relax. It doesn't burn as much if you don't struggle."

Katy listened, surprised when her head refused to nod. She willed her mind to calm the rising panic, to trust Regina waited for them. If not, she'd forget everything, become a shell of her former self. Her eyes fell shut against the tears of fear. A warrior never showed weakness to her opponent.

The car lurched suddenly, and she banged into the dash, unable to break the fall. Why had he slammed on the brakes? A crackle of magic surrounded her, coaxing a slight grin through the haze of sedation. The Queen has arrived.

"I believe you have something of mine, Dear," Regina's dark, sultry voice called.

Metal screeched and scraped. Four doors clattered on either side of the road, cutting trees, sparking against rock, clattering one glorious moment. "I want it back," Regina dispatched calmly.

Jason flew from the car, suspended in the air, arms entrapped by an invisible barrier. Wide, scared eyes stared down at her. "Oh that won't do," Regina said, making sense only to herself.

At least until Jason fell to the ground in a heap. One hand poised by her shoulder, the other pointed to the ground. "The Queen cranes her neck for none," she whispered darkly.

"Amelia, if you please, my wife and child," Regina flicked her wrist towards the car, and then tucked her fingers beneath her chin.

"What to do with treacherous snakes who kidnap defenseless women and young girls," Regina floated one step and pressed the tip of her heel into the gaping wound on his shoulder. He squalled. Her eyes slipped shut, a blissful expression overtaking the anger on her face.

"Regina, Emma says that's Jason," Amelia called from the car, hoping to be heard over the wail of pain.

Regina chuckled maniacally, a smile to match. "Oh, I've wanted to meet you for such a long time," she gushed and retracted her heel from the stab hole.

Her finger crooked in a come hither motion, beckoning the man into a standing position. "Tall. Well-muscled. Are you smooth?" She asked cryptically, and Amelia almost asked her to stop, almost.

One steady finger trailed over his chest, a trailed of blood following. Tearing flesh surrounded her, and she laughed in darkened glee. His thick neck bulged, veins and ligaments popping as he endured the pain. The skin above the collar of his shirt turned bright red with the effort.

"Naw," she clicked her tongue, summoning her best voice for speaking to a small child. "Is it too much?" Her head bobbed, simulating the act of talking to a toddler. He nodded, and she touched his cheek with soft fingertips, reveling in the wince of fear.

"My Dear," she cooed and trailed her other hand along his now bare chest. Her grin transformed into the face of a demon. "It's just a flesh wound!" She hissed and stuck her thumb into the wound carved by a magical knife.

He howled, struggling against the invisible restraints. An eyebrow raised at the sticky substance that pulled away on her thumb. She brushed it over his lips, shoving it between his teeth before he reacted. His eyes slipped shut as he sucked it clean like a little bitch. So easy to break, the sign of a weak man.

"Regina," Amelia called to her from the driver's seat. "Emma wants you." It wasn't exactly a lie or the truth, but she'd witness that look before. The Queen prepared to crush the heart of an unworthy subject.

Regina snapped from the moment, only now realizing what she'd done. With a flick of her head, Jason took off like a bottle rocket and landed on the highest branch of a nearby tree. "Stay," she ordered as she might a dog.

With calm steps tapping out her own personal theme song of high heels, she approached the car and slid into the backseat. Tender hands unbefitting her violent display lifted her wife's head and settled it into her lap. Soft fingertips detangled golden hair unconsciously.

"I'm right here, My Darling. I'll not let any harm you again," Regina vowed. Emma released a sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry I didn't believe you," Emma mumbled, still fighting the sedative. "Neal said…"

"Neal?" The surgeon and sorceress interrupted in unison.

Emma winced. Neal was bad. She should have seen that. "I met him yesterday. He told me a lot of things that sounded plausible, so I wanted to get both sides of the story before I told you about him." Emma explained, tears straining her voice.

Regina soothed her hair and caught the salty liquid Emma was physically incapable of wiping. "Shhh, Em, it's alright. I'm here now, and I promise to tell you the truth no matter how difficult."

"Annabel," Emma whispered.

Regina sighed and met Amelia's sympathetic eyes that so closely resembled her own. "She's ours, Emma. Our daughter was the first child to ever be magically conceived by True Love."

Emma nodded against her leg, the sedative fading a bit at a time. "In Neverland," she whined. "The sedative. I remember this feeling. I remember Neverland." More tears followed the admission.

"Oh Emma," Regina curled into an almost fetal position and kissed her wife's forehead.

Emma's neck twisted almost unnaturally to gaze up at her wife. "Kiss me, Regina."

A beautiful smile spread on Regina's lips. The lines of grief carved into that glowing face receded slowly, and a vein popped on her forehead at the same moment tears tumbled onto her cheeks. "Really?"

Emma nodded again, wishing her body cooperated for a her mind's command for a better position. "Hurry while I can't run," she quipped.

Regina released a wet sound, half sob and half laugh that jerked her chest upwards once. A warm thumb brushed over Emma's lower lip. She licked her lips, not quite sure she knew what she'd requested. Regina hovered a few inches from her mouth as if making a decision.

Finally, she shook her head and pulled back. "No, not like this. I want you fully functional, Emma Swan."

Emma's eyes slipped shut, more tears spilling. A smile spread. Shuddering gasps stole her breath. She hadn't meant for the request to become a test of some sort, but Regina passed immaculately anyway. "You really love me, don't you?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "I see you've always been an idiot, Miss Swan."

Emma giggled. "Apparently, I'm your idiot," she proclaimed, the words deeper than the lighthearted tone.

Regina sighed melodramatically. "Everyone bears a cross."

"I think you're both idiots," Katy groaned from the front seat.

"Says the girl who jumped through the windshield of a moving vehicle," Emma volleyed. She liked Katy before, but the teen just earned more respect than Emma ever knew she possessed.

"Katyline Katherick Swan, you jumped into the windshield of a moving vehicle?" Regina repeated as if the meaning of the words might have changed if she uttered them.

"Can we just focus on the fact that everything turned out okay?" She winced and trusted Amelia to keep her upright as she recovered from the medicine. Her dose seemed considerably smaller than Emma's if her already moving fingers told her anything.

"And perhaps take me to the hospital for some pain medication and stitches?" She added hopefully.

"I concur," Amelia tossed in her opinion. "I'm quit curious about this wound on your back."

"Amelia," Emma pulled her attention from her little savior, sparing the girl that explanation for the moment. "I'm really glad you came. I'm sorry for accusing you earlier." She offered her hand between the seats, allowing her friend to hold the weight.

Amelia squeezed her hand tightly. "I just happened to be there when Regina got the call," the surgeon brushed off her part in their rescue. Emma smiled. She'd have said the same thing. She suddenly couldn't wait to remember Amelia.

Regina waved her hand, lowering Jason from the tree. Her hand sunk into his chest the moment he came into reach. His heart had hardened like hers. A black heart for an evil man. A sliver of sympathy slipped into her own heart. Could he be redeemed?

"Walk back to town and lock yourself in jail," Regina ordered. The man silently obeyed.

Amelia raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Her former mistress would have crushed his heart right there. Regina covered their joined hands with hers, and Amelia assisted Katy in holding her adoptive mother's. They flashed.

The routine seemed so familiar now. Gowns. Scans. Setting a broken wrist. Stitches. Bloody gauze. Tiny patches to cover the wounds. Groaning from Emma. Grumping from Katy. Reluctant agreeance to stay the night for observation.

Finally, silence.

Katy relaxed into her bed, aching from the fight and socially exhausted from the subsequent medical care. She didn't hate people, but they sapped so much energy simply by existing. Her eyes drifted shut in the dim room and refused to open when the door creaked open and clicked shut softly.

"Go away, I'm injured," she griped, suspecting Henry to be the culprit.

A large, hot hand around her throat bashed that theory over the head. "You wouldn't be injured if you'd stuck to the plan."

"I told you that I didn't sign up to hurt innocent people," she seethed through clenched teeth. "If I hadn't intervened today, he would have raped her to death. That is not what this mission stands for."

"They're not innocent," he hissed an inch from her ear. She shivered, a hint of fear slipping up her spine. What had she done? They'd never forgive her.

"Emma is," she countered. Shame swelled in her chest. "I'm done. I can't do this anymore." A strangled squawk shook from her throat beneath his violent hands.

"The Savior is the one you care for?" She nodded, unable to do more. His lips brushed her temple, and she felt herself give in. Her heart rebelled. She cared for all of them, even Snow and David as much as it pained her to admit it.

"I'll spare her if you see it thru," he compromised. She had no clue how much he needed her to finish this. "You've seen what I can do. You know I'll kill her before she realizes she's been attacked."

"Please," Katy begged. She had seen his destruction, his rage, his thirst for vengeance. He'd never stop. She wasn't supposed to care about them. They'd caused Captain's death. Revenge turned to ash on one's tongue now that she'd finally found a place to belong.

"See it thru, and I'll spare the savior. I might even spare the little brat. She's powerful and kind of cute," he said nonchalantly. Bile clawed at her constricted throat. She knew he always kept his word.

"I'll do it," she agreed, hating herself more. Her fear trumped her loyalty. If she disobeyed now that they'd gotten so close, he'd have killed her, too. Probably tortured her first. Made her watch Emma and Annabel die. Forced her to watch him torture and violate Alex before he put her out of her misery. He was all she had because once they discovered her role in this mess, they'd kick her to the street anyway.

"Leave Emma and Annabel and Alex alone, and I'll help you finish this."

.


	22. Let me See You

*Gasp* Katy is the traitor! Thank you for the reviews, My Doves. I do so love your responses, so keep them coming.

I wrote this while waiting for my grandfather to get some tests run at the hospital today. I'm pretty sure the nurses and clerical staff thought I was nuts... scribbling furiously in a notebook while smiling like a fool and occasionally babbling to myself with headphones in.

Enjoy!

Songs: Beneath Your Beautiful by Labrinth and Emeli Sande, That's Where you Take me by Britney Spears

* * *

Regina closed the door gently, knowing how lightly Katy slept. She hadn't said it yet, but if Katy hadn't crashed into Jason's windshield, she might not have arrived in time. She stopped him a few feet from the line just barely. No one seemed to understand that teleportation wasn't instantaneous. It often took several minutes for re-materialization or merely a few seconds depending on the distance.

Emma touched her shoulder and leaned against the wall beside the door. "You're staring at the door," she whispered. Her hand slid over Regina's tight shoulders unconsciously, the touch seemingly natural.

Regina leaned into her slightly, and Emma swore the movement unconscious. She rubbed a slow, smooth circle on the dark woman's shoulder blades and waited. Brown eyes dropped to the floor, stole an askance glance at Emma, and then flicked back to the door. When Regina reached for the handle again, Emma intervened.

"She's fine," Emma reminded Regina of the tough girl they'd adopted. The other woman allowed Emma to grasp her hands and hold them near their hips.

"She's a child," Regina choked. Her child. She regretted allowing Jason to live. Her heart ached at that thought. She was better than that now, wasn't she? The Council depended on her, had entrusted her with setting the ultimate example. Allowing Emma's kidnapper and would be rapist to live certainly made a statement of some kind. Regina perceived it as weakness of character.

"Regina, she's a warrior."

"She my daughter," Regina whispered. "She killed someone today and attempted a second. She's 16."

Emma brushed her thumbs over Regina's knuckles, absorbing this new energy wafting from the other woman. "I understand. That's a really weird age, and the death of aunt had to mess with her. To go from having one person to the insanity that is this family is probably stressful, too, but Regina, Katy is strong. I've seen it since I woke up, and I saw today what that strength was capable of doing."

"Killing," Regina growled and averted her eyes to the door again.

"She saved me. Doesn't that negate the bad from her strength?" Emma bent her head until the shell of her ear brushed hers.

Regina sighed into the physical closeness she'd been denied for weeks. As the heat from Emma radiated into her, Regina closed her eyes and pretended for just a moment. Emma's hair smelled like strawberries, and her chilled hands possessed that same gently but firm grip. If she stood still long enough, she knew that her mind believed this Emma to be her Emma.

"I nearly arrived too late," Regina confessed in a breathy whisper. The words weren't meant to be spoken. She'd said them to her Emma.

"But you didn't," Emma shrugged, pulling back to offer a close-lipped smile. Regina touched the adorable dimple in Emma's cheek with her thumb.

"What if I…"

"Regina, stop dwelling," Emma thwarted the paranoid ramblings with a palm over Regina's mouth. "I like your red lipstick best," she confided with a wink.

Regina stared at her incredulous partner. This Emma was different and the same and nothing she wanted and everything she desired. Her Emma would have taken her in her strong arms and held her, offering solace and comfort. This Emma reminded her of that brazen, arrogant woman who blew into her town three years ago and completely acted as a wrecking ball for her entire life. Regina smiled beneath her palm.

"What?" Emma said, a grin of her own spreading. She glanced around quickly, briefly considering the hospital staff floating around them. No one even paid attention.

Regina shook her head and smiled bashfully. She'd not share those thoughts with her wife just yet. Emma's heart fluttered in a way she'd never felt before. Panic followed. She dropped her gaze and swallowed. How was she supposed to let Regina inside her walls? So much came attached to Regina, three children (one of whom just threw herself at a moving vehicle for her), the strange and whacky family.

"Emma, what do you remember about Neverland?" Regina asked suddenly.

Emma's brow furrowed. "Adjusting, give me a minute. Fairtytales." She scratched her forehead, and Regina nearly jumped out of her skin. The gesture had become a bit of a trademark tic for older Emma. Because that's what they called the woman she lost.

"Okay, fairytales are real. My fingers apparently shoot magical sperm."

Regina snorted, her eyes slamming shut at the visual. Her head shook back and forth fervently as the chuckles began. "Eloquent as ever, Darling."

Emma frowned and crossed her arms in a show of mock anger. The lines receded on the older woman's face for a moment, catching her breath and thoughts and words and stuffing them all somewhere unreachable. She'd married a stunning woman. Regina waved an unassuming hand, gaining control of her chuckling. She hadn't a clue where Emma's mind had gone, and the amnesiac lacked the emotional aptitude to tell her.

Emma waited another second before continuing, "I was tortured. I can't remember specific events or details, but I know all of these things happened."

Her body jerked with a sudden fear. "They did happen, right?"

Regina nodded. "Yes." She held a finger beneath each eye, preserving her makeup threatened by the moisture produced by her laughter.

Emma determined to mess it up. "Hey," she laced their fingers together. "Let's go for a walk."

Two sets of eyes studied their joined hands and raised simultaneously to meet the other's heated gaze. Emma's eyelids fluttered. Regina's hand tightened. "Don't run."

Emma scratched her forehead again, and Regina's heart leapt for joy. "You're creepy."

"I know you, Emma Swan."

Emma deflated with a nod. "And that's the creepy part because I don't know you."

Without releasing the grip on her hand, Regina tucked an arm beneath Emma's and moved them forward, simulating being escorted by her wife. "What would you care to know, Darling?" She offered, knowing some hard questions stared her in the face.

Emma glanced around nervously, but not one person blinked at them. No one cared that two women were married and strolling through the hospital holding hands. They broke into the sunny afternoon gladly. The hospital became too much of a second home to them. They nearly reached the main strip of town before Emma ever spoke again.

"Soooo, fairytales. Who were you?" She stole a glance at the dark woman, saw the different emotions before she clamped them down.

Regina released a harsh sigh that turned into a chuckle. "I was The Evil Queen."

Emma froze and turned into her. "Shit. Like from Snow White?" Regina nodded. Emma's forehead creased into four telling lines. Emma accepted the fantastical information much easier than she imagined, probably because she already knew of magic.

"Okay," Emma said and began walking again. Regina's heels clicked, filling the silence. The breeze whipped their hair but neither minded, having grown accustomed to the Maine weather.

"Ruby must be Red Riding Hood. That's why I want to call her Red." She smirked. "Belle French, the librarian… Beauty and the Beast, not exactly how I imagined it." Regina smiled and watched Emma locate all of the pieces and fit them together, her heart tugging in a way not felt since she'd first begun to feel love again in Neverland. Emma called it the giddy phase.

"Who was I?" Emma asked suddenly. They stopped once more. Regina stared slightly up at her wife. The Queen craned her neck for Emma Swan.

"You…" she dropped her face and sucked a deep breath. "You are The Savior, the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming."

"Are they here?" Regina nodded, waited. Emma decided she wasn't ready to know yet. Her jaw clenched, muscles coiling with tension. "What's a savior?" She changed the subject.

Regina followed easily, having expected the avoidance. "A champion of the people meant to defeat The Evil Queen," she explained with a wry tone.

"Bet they didn't see this irony coming," she deadpanned. Regina chuckled and allowed Emma to lead her down the sidewalk. The scent of burnt wood lingered on the street, a reminder of all they'd lost.

"It's a beautiful irony," Regina offered. "You defeated her by teaching her how to love again. I believe that makes for a much better story."

Emma shrugged and shoved both hands into her pockets. Regina slipped hers around Emma's bicep, feeling more like herself than she had in weeks. Silence stretched, and she allowed it, content to walk beside her wife with a hand beneath her arm. Emma guffawed suddenly.

"You stuck your heel in a man's stab wound and then took his heart and gave it to the sheriff. And people believe I've reformed you?" Emma asked, only half-joking. "You're kind of a bad ass beneath that tightly buttoned shirt and designer skirt aren't you?"

"I'm reformed, not a saint. You'll do well to remember that during future arguments," Regina warned, an amused lilt in her voice.

Emma's stomach growled. Regina raised an acerbic eyebrow. Emma shrugged sheepishly. "Granny's the only place that serves food in this town?"

Regina shook her head hesitantly. "The Rabbit Hole serves bar food," she dispatched, disdain clear in her tone.

"Yes!" Emma pumped her fist. "This place has a bar, and do you know what bars have?" She jumped in front of Regina and dragged the woman with both hands, walking backward.

"Alcohol?" Regina tried and guided Emma from a light pole. Emma shook her head. "Burgers?"

"Well, that stuff, too, but you've never really lived until you've had nachos from a dive bar," Emma whispered conspiratorially, pressing into Regina to share the confidential information.

"Emma Swan, I will eat no such thing, especially in a place where MRSA and Salmonella infections are imminent. I'm sure there is a support group by now for those affected," Regina shifted uncomfortably, and Emma glanced down the street, catching sight of the signage.

"For me?" Emma donned her best puppy dog face. It was a low blow, she knew. Regina stood with stony eyes and a rigid spine, but Emma watched the irritated acquiescence slip slowly onto her face.

Regina rolled her eyes. "I liked you better when you ran away from me."

Emma bounded along happily, pulling Regina with her. The few patrons already at the bar or grabbing an early dinner stared unapologetically when Regina Swan, Head of Council, former queen, and all around food and drink snob entered the seedy establishment.

The germs practically sang to her already queasy stomach, but she dutifully followed her Golden Retriever in the blue leather jacket to the bar. Emma grabbed her arm with a squeal that pierced her eardrum. "They have wings, too, Regina!"

"Yes, dear," Regina almost cooed and rolled her eyes, resisting the urge to stick her finger into her ear to dig at the ringing. Every single eye studied her, and she shifted uncomfortably, not from their attention but from the diseases she felt certain she contracted by breathing the air the second she walked in.

"Are you going to pass out?" Emma poked at the sleeping dragon, and Regina glared.

"I was taught properly of the dangers of filth," she sniped and forced calm, even breaths through her nose.

"Oh my god…. You're a germophobe!" Emma accused excitedly, drawing the attention of two men down the bar and the bar tender who chuckled. He'd served Emma Swan many times and listened to her bitch about Regina more than a few of them.

"I am no such thing. I simply enjoy clean establishments," she explained. It was a perfectly reasonable desire. She fidgeted again, and Emma's face fell. "My bathroom floor is cleaner than this bar."

"It really bugs you, doesn't it?" Emma held up her hand and turned towards the bartender. "Hey," she started but stopped short when a foam container slid into her elbow. "Thanks, Twitchy Britches over here might combust if she has to stay another minute."

Regina sighed dramatically and paid for the nachos. "You underestimate me, Ms. Swan. You have no idea what I'm capable of."

Emma snorted. "Yeah. Okay. Come on, Your Melodramatic-ness."

An amused eyebrow raised when Regina patted her splotchy cheeks in the warm air of late spring. Before she could stop her, Emma took off in a sprint towards the beach. Regina held her breath and counted to ten, remembering why older Emma never acted this way, despite being perfectly capable of doing so. It irritated her.

This Emma had no impulse control. Was that due to her regressed age or the brain damage? The thought gripped her guts like a magical fist. Emma might have lost the ability to control her own actions at least partially. Regina set a shaking hand on the back of a bench and leaned heavily. She'd made a vow, and a blood oath, and felt the loyalty to Emma in her soul without those two very important things. As long as she drew breath, she swore to never give up on Emma Swan. She dabbed at the corners of her eyes.

Even if it broke her.

She laughed suddenly as Belle's mischievous voice surrounded her as though the librarian whispered into her ear. _If Emma has impulse control issues due to brain damage, that makes her Sophia now. _Regina smiled through the tears welling in her eyes. She missed the other woman's gentle strength and ironic humor not expected from the tiny librarian. Belle would have exploded with fascination at Emma's condition.

Her thoughts circled back to Emma, and she released the bench, ready to face her once more. When she arrived at the edge of the beach a few minutes later, she found Emma with her toes in the sand a hundred yards from the sidewalk.

"Emma, I am not walking in the sand in these heels."

"Take them off!" Emma replied and crunched into her nachos. She meant to kill her slowly by over-irritation.

"Emma," Regina growled.

The blonde picked up her food and moved further down the beach, removing herself from earshot. Her eyes slipped shut, deep breaths moving her chest. How would Emma react to one of her "regal hissy fits" as Ruby and older Emma called her occasional tantrums. Mere moments, really, she defended herself silently.

Designer pumps dangled on two fingers when she reached Emma's new position. The sand squished and scratched, and she found herself miserable until Emma grinned up at her with yellow cheese on her chin. The blonde reminded her of a big kid, and she reminded herself that Emma was a big kid, mentally trapped in the last stage of adolescence again.

She surprised both of them when she sat in the damp sand in her grey knee-length skirt and stretched her legs in front of her. "My mother instilled propriety above all else when I was a child," she said and carefully set the pumps in the sand, mindful not to endanger them by putting them on uneven ground.

Emma munched and waited, studying Regina with wide, absorbent and accepting eyes. She wanted her story. Regina smoothed her clothes, crossed one ankle over the other. Emma almost giggled at the fussy woman but refrained, fearing it might have shut the door Regina willingly opened.

"She was a difficult woman, very strict and overbearing. I hadn't realized how abusive mentally and occasionally physically she was until I came here. That's simply how things were in The Enchanted Forest," she said and ducked her head, missing Cora despite her flaws. "Young girls were groomed as political instruments if the family enjoyed any type of status. We were chattel to be aged and perfected for sale, so to speak."

Regina leaned back on her hands, fingertips digging into the sand for the sake of holding onto something, no matter how pliable. Emma studied her profile, food forgotten. When the older woman released a shuddering breath and closed her eyes against whatever memory haunted her, Emma followed her gaze to the ocean.

"Regina, you don't have to tell me this. It looks like it really bothers you still," Emma gave her an out, and she politely declined.

"We've never talked about it before," she confessed. Emma's mouth dropped open in shock. Regina rolled her eyes and wiped that glob of cheese from her chin, rubbing it between her fingers until it rolled into a ball and fell into the sand.

Regina cleared her throat softly, fighting the constriction there. "You knew about my mother's abuse, of course. You were with me when she crushed her own heart to prevent my returning it to her chest." She clasped her hands in her lap anxiously. "But I've not actually spoken about it."

Emma closed the foam box on her lap and tossed it to the sand beside her. Her appetite shriveled into a raisin. "I'm sorry, Regina. I mean, she may have done some bad things, but she was still your mom."

Emma tucked black hair behind an ear and ran her knuckles down Regina's cheek. "Why tell me now?"

Regina's eyes slipped shut as she leaned into the gentle caress. Emma repeated the motion for the sake of Regina's pleasure. Something changed again in their relationship, and Emma battled the urge to rub her chest.

"Because I'm scared, too," Regina finally admitted. Emma's head fell to the side, waiting for more words. "I've been waiting for the Emma you were to return without completely connecting to the Emma you are now. I suppose that wouldn't bode well for our marriage because you're never going to be who you were."

Her gaze remained upon the dark waves and foamy shore of the Maine coast. "Your memories are returning in flashes, but the personality you are creating now will remain once they've returned."

Watery caramel sought the emerald green of her soul mate. "I'll not lose you because I am unwilling to bend."

Emma bumped their shoulders together. "Nu uh. After this morning, I am all yours. You are definitely the toughest kid on the playground."

Regina shook her head but grinned anyway. "I shouldn't have harmed Jason needlessly. I'm not that woman anymore."

"Yes, you are." At the instant pain in Regina's eyes, Emma scrambled to remove the foot her mouth swallowed to the ankle.

"That's not what I meant, Regina. And I'd like to say right now that I'm glad you hurt him. I'm glad he's afraid of you. I've never been so scared. I may not remember much, but I've figured out that I have… had a stalker. Neal just…"

Regina touched her shoulder and scrambled to keep up with Emma's disconnected thoughts. Emma shuddered. "He just handed me over to him."

Emma sniffed and loosed an embarrassed grumbled, vibrating her mouth and lips with the sound. Regina saw the walls slam down and allowed it for now. Emma hadn't processed the trauma from that morning yet, and pushing only led to more walls.

"Anyway," Emma pulled them back on track with a shake of her head, "You're still that person. Just like I can't go back to being the woman you married if and when I get all my memories, you can't just stop being someone. If I had to guess, you and, well, I really should stop calling myself older me." She wrinkled her nose.

"Emma."

"Right, focus. If I had to guess, you and future me already talked about this. Considering the sexual energy that practically molests us when we're in a room together, I'm going to say we did some kinky shit in order to include that part of you."

Emma's brow furrowed. "Amelia says that the part of my brain that is linked to my sexual responses is not the same part as the memory stuff."

Regina chuckled. "Are you implying I still arouse you despite your lack of memory recall?"

Emma nodded, the back of her neck flushing with the admission. She rubbed it furiously, and Regina raised an eyebrow. "Yes, you do, and I have to admit that I'm feeling very odd urges for kinky shit that I've never even considered before." She stopped to blush, and a grin tugged at Regina's lips when she noticed the bright red burn on the tips of Emma's ears. God, she was so similar.

"There's just so much pressure, ya know?" Emma admitted through her embarrassment, poking at the real issue. "If I kiss you, do I automatically become Mrs. Swan again and have to perform all the duties I used to? We're already married and have children, it's not like we can date."

"Why not?" Regina countered. "I've never experienced one personally, but I imagine the first one feels a lot like this."

"You're not wrong. This kind of feels like a first date."

"Em." A soft hand on her arm drew her eyes up to compassionate brown. "This can go as quickly or slowly as you'd like. As I said, I'm frightened, too."

"Middle school make out session?" Emma waggled her eyebrows, and Regina smiled, unable to fake irritation at the other woman. She'd wanted Emma three years ago, and she wanted her after the curse broke, and she wanted her when she return to Storybrooke without a single memory of her life there, and she wanted her now.

"Come on, Prissy Mittens," Emma taunted and jumped to her feet. "I bet you've never walked on a wet beach, either."

"Emma, no. I've already destroyed this skirt," Regina protested, her muscles too weak to resist. Her heart didn't want to.

Emma walked backwards, dragging Regina every single step. "I've walked on a wet beach, Emma," she tried again.

"Bare footed?" Emma gave one last final jerk, and Regina toppled into her. They landed in the water in a tangle of limbs and sharp gasps.

"Oh shit, that's cold!" Emma exclaimed. She scrambled from the water, but a sudden weight upon her thighs stopped her. A gentle wave hit her face, and she spit water and rubbed her burning eyes.

"Oh no, Ms. Swan," a dark voice threatened. Regina hiked her skirt and straddled her hips before Emma recovered completely. Emma struggled lightly, digging herself further into the wet sand. Regina's face darkened with anger, and Emma swallowed roughly, her vain struggle stilling for the moment. Another wave caressed the shore, and Emma covered her ears as the water surrounded her, almost reaching her eyes in the prone position.

"You're going to lay there, in the cold water, until I've deemed you adequately punished," Regina informed her and crossed her arms with a huff. Black hair stuck to her neck and curled slightly. Huh, Regina straightened her hair.

"I'll tickle you," Emma threatened right back. Regina narrowed her eyes. Emma had never before threatened such a childish thing. Would this Emma actually subject her to such humiliation?

The firm fingers along her sides answered that question. Regina yelped indignantly and grabbed at the offending fingers. "Emma Swan, I'll have your head!" She yelled through the involuntary laughter.

She finally caught hold of her wrists and slammed them above her head, splashing salty water into their faces. Emma grinned triumphantly, despite being pinned down. Regina narrowed her eyes, acutely aware of their bodies pressing tightly together.

"Are you trying to seduce me with your womanly wiles and exquisitely developed biceps?" Regina snarked, only half joking.

Droplets of ocean dripped and trickled from Regina's flushed cheeks, and Emma's eyes tried to follow each one. This hadn't been her intention, not entirely. Regina would have retaliated far worst if she realized Emma soaked her on purpose. Now that Regina lay atop her, she had no objections to speak of. She wanted this woman, sexually and as a friend and protector if nothing else. Her heart begged her for more, for love. Emma bounced the organ like a basketball; each time the shout for more came up, she slapped it back to the floor.

"You're a control freak. Had to make you think it was your idea," Emma purported with a wink, and Regina pondered exactly how much of their impromptu swim was an accident.

All thoughts dissipated when Emma lifted her head from the water and pressed her lips to Regina's. They both gasped and parted for a moment from the spark of energy, literally, that bit their lips. Regina recovered first and braced her forearms on either side of Emma's head, smoothing wet dark blonde hair.

Emma accepted her lips the second time without hesitation, sans magical sparkage. Mouths paused, adjusting and readjusting to the feeling. Emma surprised both of them by moving first. Wet hands found black hair. A moan vibrated the back of Regina's throat, spurring Emma onward.

She nipped Regina's lower lip and then soothed it with a warm, wet tongue. Without thought of what Emma wanted, her lips parted, granting that slick muscle access. Pure adrenaline shot to her groin when her tongue slid over Regina's the first time, at least in her mind.

She'd never kissed a woman before, not like this, but her lips immediately became addicted. Her body jerked forward, and Regina allowed her to sit up out of the water without breaking the kiss. A giddy pounding beat at her chest so hard that she feared Emma felt her heart trying to rip open her chest and join with hers.

"Regina," Emma whispered against her lips. The quiet plea repelled her lips, and they sat there panting, staring, yearning.

Emma's hands slid from her hair, caressing her arms before dropping to her thighs. Emma tilted her head, capturing those tantalizing lips once more. Regina released a throaty moan. Hands grasped her hips, inspiring them to roll into the ones beneath her without her permission. Emma gasped and squeezed the flesh harder.

They flew past slow and edged into first time sex on the beach in the middle of the afternoon in full view of main street. Exploring hands pulled at Regina's shirt, tugging it free of the firm tuck into the skirt.

"Emma," Regina halted the movement with a breathy plea. "I will not have sex with you on the beach. Sand in certain orifices does not appeal to my libido."

"Sorry, I'm just…" Emma started, lowering her head in embarrassment.

"What is it, Darling?" Regina cupped her cheeks tenderly and brought those beautiful green eyes.

"Curious. I've never… I mean, clearly my body has, but I've never touched another woman, not like this," she confessed haltingly. She sounded so young, so insecure, so unsure of herself.

Regina smiled, stealing her fears. "I know, Darling. How many sexual partners do you remember? The good experiences," she added quickly, letting Emma know gently that she acknowledged her rape and molestation as a child as well as her inexperience.

Emma leaned forward and hid her face in Regina's neck. "Just Neal," came the quiet response. Tears followed.

Regina mentally punched herself in the head. Emma's first love died today in front of her after handing her over as a sex toy to a man she hadn't remembered meeting or wronging. Despite what she or the woman she married thought of Neal, this woman in her arms loved him still, at least a part of her. His betrayal only added to the massive wall Emma surrounded herself with.

She pressed her lips to the crown of Emma's soaked hair and waited for the storm to pass. Emma raised her head and hiccupped when the tears subsided. Regina studied her face but withheld any sort of expression of her own. She hated Neal. Her heart rejoiced in his death. Perhaps her own nightmares lessoned with the knowledge.

"You're not mad that I'm upset about Neal?" Emma's voice sound so small, so child-like. She feared rejection, braced for it, even.

Regina shook her head. "I will never mourn the death of The Dark One's son, but I refuse to rob you of your right to grieve."

Emma raised her head to study the incredible woman straddling her lap, wanting her, loving her, comforting her. "He hurt you, didn't he?" Emma deciphered the answer in Regina's eyes before the woman ever spoke.

Regina nodded and took a deep breath. Her heart broke for Emma. So much of her life in her own mind was being violently ripped from the foundation of who she became. "Yes." She loathed the helplessness it brought to the forefront of her mind and braced herself for the next question.

"What did he do?" It should have been an innocent, the logical progression of conversation. Emma longed to retract it when the other woman's eye misted over with rage and grief.

"We've yet to talk about that as well," Regina laughed hollowly. She'd spoken in depth about her torture and loss of love with Ruby in The Enchanted Forest, but she'd carried Emma's heart at the time and never spoke about it afterwards.

"Later, then, maybe when we both don't hurt so much?" Emma suggested.

Regina bumped her forehead to Emma's with a gentleness she might have reserved for Annabel. Emma's head was precious. "You need a helmet," Regina blurted and grazed the soft tuft of hair at Emma's temple where Amelia performed a craniectomy.

Luckily, Emma hadn't yet woken when she replaced the piece of skull she'd removed and stored in a freezer for two days. The surgery relieved pressure on her brain and excised clots and repaired what she could without causing more scar tissue. The patch barely stood out unless you knew where to look because Emma's wild hair covered the area quite well.

"I will not wear a helmet," Emma huffed. She hated feeling weak.

"Do you plan to lead the athletic activities at the youth center upon its completion?" Regina crossed her arms. Why were they walking about helmets instead of making out again?

"I guess," Emma shrugged and rubbed small circles over Regina's hips with her palms.

"Then there will be helmets in your future," Regina clipped, leaving no room for argument.

Defiance burned in Emma's eyes. Regina smothered the flame when clawed fingers sunk into the skin near hear ears and persistent lips claimed her own once more. A different sort of heat set her chest alight, and the traitors that her hands had become slipped beneath Regina's shirt.

Bumps erupted on the skin beneath her palms, testifying to Regina's intense need of her touch. The body atop hers shuddered with unleashed desires. Their noses bumped, and Emma jerked at the softness, the lack of stubble, the pulse of heat between Regina's legs pressing into her own. Emma moaned, hands grasping desperately.

Regina drew her tongue over Emma's. Teeth clanked as they tried to get closer and failed with frustrated growls. Long, cold fingers wrapped around bare ribs, and Regina almost repositioned them over her breasts. Curious, Emma had said. She was curious. She wasn't ready, but Regina offered her the experience of touching her before she _touched_ her.

"It's okay, Emma," she whispered into the kiss, unsure if the sounds even formed words. Her hands dropped to Emma's shoulders, nails digging painfully as she anchored herself.

"Are you sure? Last time…" Regina's lips silenced her.

"Last time," Regina repeated breathlessly and pressed her forehead to Emma's. "Last time you weren't ready. I don't need anything more than this. Not right now. Not as long as I can kiss you," Regina confessed hesitantly, fearful of rejection.

Four hours ago, she'd watch Regina tear apart a car with but a flick of her wrist. That same woman trembled in her arms, scared of losing her touch once more, unwilling to believe the fumbling caresses more than a passing fancy. Perhaps they were. _You're the only one whose ever had enough of her to completely break her soul, Emma_. Ruby's words from the previous night crashed into her, and she almost pulled away. This responsibility was not something she wanted.

"What, Darling?" Regina begged, and Emma melted.

This woman deserved more. She wanted to try. A thousand thoughts flickered and died in her mind. A thousand emotions prickled and burned in her chest. Finally, the two differing parts of her added up to one cohesive truth.

"I'm scared." _I don't want to hurt you. I'm afraid to hurt you._ She finished silently. She felt lost. Her fear surrounded her, drowned her. She sputtered, broke for air, sank beneath another rushing tide.

And then Regina's lips breathed life into her. She wanted this: Regina and the family she came with. She wanted to protect them. Seeing Katy in a bed with cuts and scratches and a bullet wound twisted her guts into tiny permanent knots. It was all hers for the grabbing. She only needed to quiet the fear.

Perhaps she needed to accept the fear. Fear always followed when you had something to lose. It swelled, and Regina's lips swallowed it, giving her another gulp of air. She'd protect them, protect this feeling no matter the cost. In that moment, she knew she'd sacrifice herself willing as Katy had to save her.

Regina moaned and flicked her tongue, bit her lip, teeth scraping as she pulled back. Emma tipped her chin backwards as those plump lips traced her jaw, heating the chill the ocean water left behind. Regina wanted her, needed her, and she needed Regina on a level she hadn't quite fathomed yet. She'd protect this woman unselfishly.

Brazen confidence swelled in her chest, tempering her wildly pounding heart. "Emma," the breathy whisper against her neck spurred her forward. Regina's back arched sensually when her hands covered her breasts. Large nipples poked at her palms through the silk covering them.

"Emma," Regina repeated, but it sounded different this time, like a warning.

But those lips continued kissing her neck, and harsh gasps puffed against her neck. She tingled all over, every single cell. Had Regina alone caused this intense feeling of emotional satisfaction? She was loved and wanted and accepted, and she had a family and parents somewhere. She protected all of them. It was her duty, her honor.

"Emma, you're…" Regina's thought stopped abruptly when a high-pitched whimper rang in her ear. Frantic hands dug into her shoulder and back when Regina wrapped her arms around her and clung tightly.

A flush of energy rushed into Emma's body, and she pulled on it, wanting more, needing more. "Emma," Regina whined.

She choked when the chalky smoke of magic filled her lungs. That energy ebbed slightly, bringing with it disappointment. Emma focused and pulled it into her again. Regina cried out and bit into her shoulder, hips rocking voluptuously. What the hell was happening?

Regina collapsed into her, unable to hold the weight of her body, and they tumbled onto soft carpet rather than cold, wet sand. Those perfect lips covered hers, heightening the tingling sensation surrounding them. She felt Regina everywhere, inside and out. It was… magical?

She opened her eyes to find pink and purple haze surrounding them. Her hands slid down Regina's side and grabbed her hips again. The older woman moaned and ground her hips into the slimmer ones below. "Oh god," she whispered into damp, yellow hair.

"Regina?" Emma tried to understand what was happening, but her knowledge of magic resembled her knowledge of lesbian sex. She knew it existed and that she could do it, and that was about it.

"Emma," she choked, her voice a sensual rasp and rumble that slid down Emma's spine. "Your magic is…" She cried out again, rocking frantically. "…like touching your heart." Regina tried to explain, but the words meant nothing to her amnesic wife.

"You tapped my magic, Emma." Regina finally pushed out. Her body fought her mental control tooth and nail. "Stop wanting. Clear your mind."

Another surge pulled forward and then stopped abruptly. Emma's magic continued to tingle around her now collapsed and trembling body, but Regina found it tolerable to the combination of Emma both pulling on her magic while simultaneously pumping her full of her own.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that," Emma apologize quickly, fighting for her own control. "Whatever I just did."

Regina rolled from her and panted on her back. No anger or fear or disappointment or disgust graced her flushed face, only desire and arousal. "Magic can be shared," she said with a wave of her hand that flopped to the floor with a thud.

"So I, like, sucked on your magic or something?" Regina nodded and swallowed audibly, interrupting a pant. Her chest jumped up and down so fast it looked like an invisible marionette string controlled it.

"While also filling me with yours," Regina added a moment later.

"I'm sorry," she said again. Regina waved her hand again, not really upset, not at all. She intended to revisit this once she and Emma began having sex.

"Soooo, how did we end up in our bedroom?" Emma glanced around, confused.

Regina chuckled, head lolling to meet her eyes. "You brought us here."

"Magic is dangerous, isn't it? I mean, like really dangerous if someone can't control it," Emma changed the subject abruptly, and Regina's endorphin-filled mind struggled to follow.

"Yes, it can be. Yours isn't volatile by nature, so you should be fine, but unless you'd like everyone to know when you are feeling unselfish desire, we must start your magic lessons soon." Regina forced herself upright and touched her still heaving chest.

"Wait," Emma said and propped her head on her arm, too frazzled to sit. "My magic surfaces when I get horny? How is that an unselfish desire?"

Brown eyes slipped shut, a grin and flush spreading on her face. "What were you thinking about?"

"Making you feel good," Emma replied without hesitation as though her mind hadn't yet analyzed the words falling from her lips. Green eyes widened with realization. "Oh shit."

She shot upright. "Fuck. Seriously? Everyone can tell when I'm horny, too?"

Regina's face softened with silent laughter. The reaction reminded her of Emma's during their wedding, but not quite. Emma wasn't embarrassed about her sexuality. She was frustrated that she now contended with magic during the one time they made their own, when they made love.

Regina tamped the levity of situation and searched for the words to help Emma feel better. "Only when you desire in your heart to put another before you."

"And I did that, older me, I mean? Put you first, even during sex?" Regina nodded, unable to say more as her throat constricted with yearning for the woman she married. This wasn't her. Emma understood immediately.

"This must be torture for you, to have that and see me sitting right here but knowing it's not me. Not the me you married anyway. How do you stand it? I'd go insane."

Silence followed the statement. Regina's breathing returned to normal. Emma's guilt grew. Everything about this situation was wrong. Regina wanted her to be Emma again, and Emma sought experience and understanding of her own desires. Was it fair to ask that of Regina?

"I pretend, sometimes," broke the silence with a heartfelt confession. Brown met green and understanding surrounded them.

"When you're asleep, mostly. You still sleep on your back with one arm tossed above your head and the other resting on your hip. Falling asleep on your chest came so naturally because I sleep on my side." Regina choked on a sob, and Emma touched her shoulder without hesitation.

"You haven't been sleeping much, have you?" Regina touched a hand just above her mouth, covering it, and shook her head after a moment.

Emma cupped her cheek and wiped her tears, forcing shimmering brown eyes full of grief to meet the green ones reflecting the same expression. "Do you want to take a nap? Annabel and Alex are with Mary Margaret and Henry and Katy are safe with Ruby, Eva, Lauren, and Amelia at the hospital."

Emma's head fell forward, wet hair slapping into her face. "I could hold you, like I used to. You could pretend for a while."

Regina shook her head again. "I wouldn't do that to you, Emma. You're not her," she whined, another dam broke loose.

Emma tucked one leg beneath her and bent the other behind Regina's back as she wrapped her arms around the older woman. Regina collapsed into her chest, clinging tightly to her wet shirt as her eyes added more moisture. Emma nuzzled the hair just above her ear. "But you could pretend for a while. Just for a little while."

Regina shook her head again, too overcome to speak. Emma's magic tingled in her fingertips, and Regina gasped as that calming influence settled over her, lathering her soul with an artificial balm. "Let me do this for you, Regina. I can't do magic, and I can't figure out who is after us, and I can't be a mother to our children right now. But I can do this for you."

Regina nodded this time, "Okay." Just for a little while.


	23. Misconceptions

So, either that last chapter was positively atrocious or y'all really hate angsty, Swanqueen fluff. Still enjoying yourselves or do I have to start killing people again?

Songs: You by Candlebox

* * *

_**28 Days After Belle's Departure**_

Ruby splashed water on her face and then stared at it in the tiny mirror on the wall of the hospital bathroom. Granny woke up a few days ago, but something refused to let her leave. When she was scared, she clung to Granny like Alex clung to her, and terror usurped all other emotions in her heart. Terror and grief.

Someone tried to murder Granny.

Her head fell between her shoulders as she braced herself on the sink and cocked a hip to the side. It raised slowly, cold eyes staring at her from the glass. They belonged to the wolf. It was wolf's week, and the creature clawed the inside of her mind, searching for a way out. It wanted blood. It wanted to run, to be free, to kill, to take. It nearly took Belle in the most degrading and damaging way possible.

Her fist flew towards the mirror, and Ruby stopped it the second before full contact. Knuckles brushed the cold glass, which turned into a palm pressed against the reflective surface, hiding her face as she breathed deeply. In, one. Out, one. In, one. Out, one. She repeated the mantra in congruence with her breathing. It helped.

The wolf calmed as her emotions settled. Regina was right. Her emotions directly influenced her wolf. Fear and Love more so than anger, surprisingly. The day the mob attacked Belle, 28 long torturous days ago, fear dictated her actions, not rage as previously suspected. She used rage as a buffer to cover the softer, presumably weaker emotions.

Her head dropped between her shoulders again as control returned. Her grip on the porcelain loosened slightly, fearful of busting it with her wolf strength. "I need a drink," she whispered, wishing she'd never acknowledged the thought. It would never leave her now, not without Belle's careful track of her usage.

She raised her eyes to the mirror once more. They had softened with the breathing exercise, but her face looked foreign to her. Dark black circles rimmed her sunken eyes. The skin stretched over her jaw and cheek bones thinly. Pale. Emaciated. The captive of an internment camps Snow's army kept for prisoners of the war between the White and Dark Kingdoms.

The red streak once kept so carefully started several inches from her roots, reminding her, mocking her. She was half of what she once was. Acid churned in her stomach, jumping up her throat, simulating nausea. When had she last eaten? Not one single memory of food entered her mind. The thought of smelling it when they brought Granny's meals cramped her already knotted belly.

With a gag of disgust, she pushed from the sink and emerged from the bathroom. Bethany perked by the door, and Ruby conversed silently. Granny was fine. Someone else visited. Blue eyes rolled towards Granny's bed. Ruby almost smiled when she saw Marco sitting at her grandmother's side.

"Don't you worry, Elizabeth. I'll finish it for you," he assured the woman softly and patted her hand. "I've rearranged some things for you," he continued and held up a blueprint. "I've moved your apartment to the lower floor. I know your old knees struggle in the winter after a long day of cooking."

Granny harrumphed, but the softness in her face startled Ruby enough to step forward. She went unnoticed by both elders. "Gepetto, you've never let me down, but if you call me old one more time, I'll show you a thing or two."

Ruby cleared her throat, completely freaked out by the lack of bite in Granny's voice. She was… flirting? "Granny, I tried to keep everything the same, but I like the apartment idea. Just in case," she mumbled the last sentence.

Granny's fluttering mood darkened as she finally studied her granddaughter's face. Ruby felt too much. "Bethany Child, take this one to the cafeteria and force her to eat something."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Granny, I'm fine. I'm not a child. I know how to take care of…"

"That's an order, Ruby Elizabeth Lucas. Go eat before I choke your stupid self with what's left of my oatmeal," Granny ordered firmly, affection evident in her threat as it always was.

"Yes, Granny," Ruby conceded far too easily and hung her head. Granny's face bunched and crinkled with concern. Ruby almost always fought back.

Without another glance at the frail woman she worshipped, Ruby exited the room, head bowed. The tip tap of heels told her that Bethany followed. She sounded like Belle - when she walked, when she talked, when she slept. They'd not been parted a single night since the fire, and Ruby found a similarity every single day between her lover and her little sister. It murdered her soul a little more each time.

"Ruby," Bethany caught her attention before a soft touch landed on her shoulder, slowing her pace slightly.

"What?" Ruby snapped and jerked away. Bethany showered earlier that morning at the mansion. She used her shampoo, Belle's shampoo. Ruby bristled, suddenly happy to be surrounded by the scents of terrible hospital food.

She slumped into a chair in the corner as far from people as possible and buried her face in long arms. A few minutes later, that tip tap signaled Bethany's approach. She sat two trays on the table. Ruby smelled coffee and raised her head. She wrenched the lid from the foam cup and left it on the tray to cool.

"Are you alright?" Bethany asked cautiously. Some moments Ruby accepted her presence and acted positively savage towards her a minute later.

"Do I look alright to you?" She sniped and stabbed the plastic fork into the foam plate, nowhere near the pile of food Bethany scooped off the buffet line for her.

"You're grieving, so no, I should say not. This situation presents horror on a gothic level that not even those of us who have witness true horror can fathom," the young princess explained her version of events. Ruby bristled.

"Why can't you just talk like a normal person?" She stabbed at Bethany's self-confidence purposefully and immediately felt terrible for it.

Bethany's spine straightened as she absorbed the insult and filled her mouth with a chunk of cantaloupe. Ruby deflated and hung her head in her hands. "I'm sorry."

Bethany sipped tea, looking ridiculous holding a foam cup with her pinky out as though she were in the production of a formal breakfast with the king. She lowered it too slowly to the table to be unaffected by her comment, and Ruby's guilt thickened. Bethany had been a huge help with Granny this past week. She may have done some fucked up stuff to her sister, but she obviously cared for and deeply respected her grandmother.

"You're not wrong," Bethany agreed guardedly. "I'm different from most who reside in Storybrooke." She daintily lifted another piece of fruit to her mouth and chewed genteelly.

Many of her mannerism, Ruby noticed after having spent a significant amount of time with the girl, weren't as pretentious as she previously believed. They were second nature, ingrained into her by a royal upbringing. She forgot sometimes that Belle spent years apart from her station as a princess before the curse was cast. She spoke so little of her time in Rumpel's castle and travels with Mulan that Ruby negligently dismissed those years far too often for comfort.

More mistakes, she reminded herself bitterly. Those years shaped the woman she fell in love with far more than her childhood as a princess. The woman she no longer believed herself worthy of having. Yet, she hoped and prayed and believed everyday that Belle returned. Her hand unconsciously grasped the sword and wolf pendant beneath the wrinkled shirt she hadn't changed in two days. She still believed.

One day she'd earn Belle's love and devotion. When her wolf settled and she controlled it completely, she swore to be the woman Belle deserved, the mother Alex warranted. She was ready to be that woman. She wanted that responsibility. When she and Belle fell in love, neither of them were prepared emotionally or mentally for the depth of their commitment. The string of disasters that followed ensured complete and utter failure.

They might have made it if the world had left them alone to explore each other properly.

"Ruby," Bethany caught her attention again. The wolf's shoulders tightened as her mind assimilated to reality once more, but she said nothing. "I know I don't have a right to ask, but I was wondering if you or Regina or Amelia might come with me to have my surgery."

The wolf's chin banged onto her thin chest. "What surgery?"

Bethany took a deep breath. The moment of truth. The revelation of her hideous life. "The one I was scheduled to have the week after Eva's accident. I've only now found enough resolve to reschedule. I've found an apartment, so in a few weeks after I've settled, I intend to go thru with it." Ruby took note of the language, the lack of huge words and clever turns of phrase. Bethany made an effort to speak more plainly for the sake of her scattered mind.

Ruby leaned onto an elbow and speared scrambled eggs with the other hand. "Are you sick? Or dying? Are you having a tumor removed? I'm not going if it's something stupid like reconstructive surgery on your nose." She swallowed the tasteless food and finally met Bethany's distant, glacier blue eyes. Belle's eyes. Her gaze returned to the unappetizing plate, and she forced more food down her throat.

Bethany shook her head, a close-lipped grin on her face, "No, nothing so frivolous as that but also nothing life threatening, though I suspect it will change my life forever. For the better, I hope." She smiled. It was genuine and kind and so unlike the harsh woman who randomly showed up in Belle's library two months ago.

"I'd not ask, but I find myself frightened and quite alone in this world. I was going to asked Granny or Emma before, but… I do not wish to burden them further with my pathetic squabbles of past suffering," Belle's sister admitted, the sadness generally present returning full force. Ruby had no sympathy. She'd done it to herself. They would have accepted her with open arms had she not betrayed Belle.

"What exactly are you having done?"

Bethany picked at a napkin and blinked rapidly, sucking a deep breath through her nostrils. Ruby waited. Silence stretched. Ruby swallowed the rest of her eggs and pushed the plate away as her stomach turned and twisted. Snapping the plastic lid over the lukewarm coffee, she sipped and leaned back in the terrible plastic chair.

"It's called De-Infibulation. It's a reversal of female genital mutilation. Belle's father," she stopped, huffed a sigh, ripped a napkin into shreds. Her eyes never left her hands. Ruby's reaction would have made the explanation impossible.

"My father had me sewn shut, believing that Belle's sexuality led to her behavior. She'd always been lively and very accepting of herself as a sexual being. She loved dancing, and every man in the room knew she'd allow them to brush too closely against her once her cheeks turned that bright red."

Bethany pulled another napkin from the holder as she spoke and shredded it one sliver at a time. Ruby watched her trembling hands take after the flimsy paper and then retrieve another when that one became too small to rip anymore. Bethany caught her gaze and smoothed the paper onto the table.

"I'm sorry. Dr. Hopper and I have been working on anger management techniques. I like ripping paper."

Ruby shrugged one shoulder and crossed her arm over her belly to hold the other at the elbow. She sipped her coffee, too shocked by the revelation to do more. "That's why you were so pissed at her." Bethany nodded. Ruby bowed her head and sighed deeply, eyes closing. How had everything gotten so screwed up?

"That's really fucked up, Bethany," Ruby said, unable to muster more sympathy. "You should have just told us that you were pissed off instead of this sneaky spying bullshit."

Bethany nodded sadly, "I know that now. I never expected to be so openly welcomed into your family. I think a part of me wanted Belle to hate me so I had reason to remain angry." She laughed hollowly and took to another napkin with a vengeance.

"Emma was right when she told me that I needed to think carefully about where I placed blame. My father did this to me, not Belle." She ripped a stack of napkins and tore at the end of the strip with jerky, emotional fingers.

"I'm sorry that this happened to you, Beth. I don't completely understand it, but I know enough to know that it has to be a royal mindfuck for you. I mean, sewn shut how?" Ruby glanced around, ensuring that Bethany's trauma remained private.

Bethany sighed, but her spine straightened rather than slumping. She distanced herself, Ruby realized. "In clinical terms, my outer labia was sewn together, concealing the inner labia and clitoris. A small hole was left for urination and menstruation." She paused long enough to retrieve another stack of napkins from the holder. Ruby waited. Bethany shredded.

"I can't remember if anything had been removed," she began again without preamble, voice a dulled monotone. "Dr. Montgomery says she'll be able to tell me when she reverses the procedure by cutting them open and stitching them back so they don't heal together again." She explained everything professionally, detaching herself from the horror she must have felt her entire adolescence.

Ruby's heart ached for the girl. Even if she'd had sex or masturbated, she probably had never experienced sexual pleasure. She tightened her arm around her stomach, comforting herself. No wonder Bethany always had a stick up her ass about something; suddenly, her anger made perfect sense. As a child, she associated this heinous act with Belle's absence and subsequent banishment from the kingdom. Her anger towards her older sister suddenly made complete sense and almost felt justified.

Ruby clenched her jaws, brows furrowed, as she worked through Bethany's behavior. She acted almost like someone in denial, speaking about what had been done to her body as though it weren't hers. In The Enchanted Forest, Ruby figured it hadn't really been; it belonged to her father, as Belle's had, practically dooming her to a loveless marriage to a brute of a man. Her fear of that life led her to believe a life as Rumpelstiltskin's captive a better alternative to Gaston's touch.

Bethany tore at napkins, the pile large enough for several handfuls now. "I'll go with you," Ruby said, finally.

Bethany's head jerked in surprise. She'd clearly braced for rejection, which perhaps contributed to her lack of emotion. Life seemed easier when one walked her path with no expectations of others around her. She'd been there when she first discovered her wolf, thought the monster within unworthy and incapable of receiving love.

"Thank you, Ruby." The smile she offered appeared on her youthful face as a grimace, adding years she'd never lived to her age.

Ruby sipped her coffee and stared at the almost full plate of food she hadn't the stomach to finish. She wanted Belle. She wanted her diner. She wanted Emma back. She wanted to feel something again. Numb fingers pulled her phone from her pocket and fumbled to the text screen.

_Do you regret me? _She typed, thumb hovering over the send button on the touch screen. Eyes squeezed tight, she tapped the screen and opened them to find the message sent. She sincerely doubted Belle responded, and a part of her hoped to never know the answer to that question.

"You're thinking of Belle," Bethany mentioned as casually as possible and sipped her tea, eyes carefully turned from the wolf's.

"Besides the fact that I'm always thinking about Belle, how can you tell?"

"As much as you torture yourself with regret, it's the only time I ever see the scowl between your eyes soften," came the utterly unexpected response. She hadn't realized Bethany observed her that closely.

Ruby twirled the coffee cup, tracing the blue and orange designs with her eyes. Bethany sighed heavily. "If you eat a piece of toast, I'll tell Granny you finished your plate," she compromised, knowing the elder Lucas well enough to know that to be the first question from her lips the moment she found herself alone with the former princess.

Ruby shrugged one shoulder and continue to stare. Bethany's brow furrowed as she reached for one slice of bread on the side of Ruby's plate. She spread the tiny individual packet of butter and then added the second for extra calories. "Strawberry or grape jelly?" Ruby shrugged. Bethany added the strawberry, already knowing the answer but trying to engage the wolf anyway.

Ruby forced the food down her throat, softening each bite with coffee before swallowing. She hadn't the energy to chew. Halfway thru, she glanced at Bethany studying her cup of tea with the same intensity as she had her coffee cup. "Is it painful?"

Bethany waved a dismissive hand, much like Regina had done too many times to count. "Occasionally, when I cross my legs. I cannot use tampons. The frequent infections cause the most discomfort. Antibiotics are much preferable to being cleaned by a healer for days." Bethany's voice hardened with the mention of her healer, and Ruby winced. She suspected that he did far more than clean out the infection.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, eyes shut tightly against the absolute horror of Bethany's childhood. She loved Granny more in that moment if that were possible. She'd protected her from all the evil of the world until her wolf became uncontrollable. Sure, she'd left her naïve and defenseless, but she functioned much more easily than the other adults of her family.

"We should return," Bethany suggested, effectively ending the conversation with her tone.

They retraced their steps to Granny's room wordlessly. They weren't friends by any means, but a mutual respect and dependence developed during the past week, especially since Emma and Regina discovered the joy of making out like little hormone bombs. Katy exerted more control over her sexual urges than her mothers.

As heart wrenching their growing happiness had become, a sense of normalcy seeped back into her life. Emma reveled in her magic lessons, listening and taking direction much better than older Emma ever had. She was different in almost everyway, and yet the same. Brash. Impulsive. Crude. Tentatively trusting. All attributes older Emma possessed, simply the less mature version of them. The only thing that remained the same was that worshipful, lovesick shimmer in her eyes when she looked at Regina.

True Love never left the soul simply because the mind failed to remember.

That thought gave her a sliver of comfort for her own situation as she rounded the corner into Granny's room. The matriarch smiled at Marco, almost oblivious to their arrival. Ruby's brow tightened. Granny glanced up, that same soft smile in place.

"Ruby, I want you to go help Gepetto today. Bethany can keep me company, and Regina is dropping Alex off shortly. I'll be well looked after," Granny silenced her protests before they bubbled in her throat.

Ruby nodded hesitantly, uncomfortable with the idea of leaving Granny unprotected. "Yes, Granny," she replied. Perhaps Marco required her wolf's strength.

"Come," Marco said in his gentle way and held an arm out. He tipped his head to Granny, "Elizabeth." He offered softly, holding her eyes for a lingering moment and then ushered Ruby out the door.

Her foot bounced uncontrollably as he drove towards the construction site. He remained blissfully silent and offered no parting words of inspiration as he parked and jumped from the truck. A crew already pounded nails and cut boards and climbed ladders, perhaps more than were needed for a safe work zone. A faint hint of charcoal tickled her sensitive nose, but the skeleton of her brand new diner negated the images of her home up in flames.

A familiar and unwelcomed face stared down at her from a ladder, hammer frozen. Rage burned in her chest.

"What the hell is he doing here?" She demanded, effectively silencing every single sound as all eyes turned to Ruby Lucas staring down her father from 30 feet below.

He descended quickly but said nothing when he stood a few feet before her with wringing hands and wide brown eyes. Her eyes. She growled inwardly and grasped the metal burden at her hip, a burden she willingly accepted onto her strong shoulders. She hated magic more every single day, and the power of The Dark One disgusted her more each second that now familiar weight hung at her hip.

"Jack has been a great help, Ruby. My best volunteer," Marco assured her with a tinge of respect for the man in question, a hint confusion at her anger. He didn't know. She glanced around at the similarly confused expressions of his crew. No one knew who he was to her.

"I'm just here to help," Jack offered quietly. Ruby squinted when his head bowed slightly, subtly conceding to her dominance. He'd just marked her as an alpha in wolf speak. It appeared sincere, genuine and partly unconscious to him.

"Just stay away from me," Ruby ordered and stalked off towards the chop saw. She grabbed ear plugs and muffs from the safety supplies and commandeered her desired position. She loved using the chop saw, and it required absolute concentration and solitude.

Katy touched her hand as she grabbed the handle of the saw. She startled enough to fall into a defensive stance, which immediately lowered. Katy's brow furrowed, and Ruby ripped off the protective gear.

"Why aren't you in school? Better yet, why aren't you taking advantage of your medically granted week off and in bed sleeping in?" She demanded, slipping easily into role of guardian.

Katy shrugged, face falling with her eyes. "I want to be here," she said with a shrug. Ruby squinted again, picking apart Katy's unusual reaction. Shimmering hazel eyes lifted and shocked Ruby with the raw emotion there.

"Katy?" Ruby touched her shoulder, squeezing gently. A swell of affection and protectiveness filled her chest when Katy allowed the physical contact.

"Ruby, I…" Katy tried, shook her head. Her eyes focused on something over her shoulder, widened in what appeared to be fear, and then dropped to the ground quickly. Ruby glanced behind her but saw nothing out of the ordinary, just men and women working a construction site.

"I'm glad to see you out of the hospital," Katy mumbled.

Ruby grunted when the girl flung her arms around her waist and constricted tightly. As quickly as the affection surfaced, Katy pulled away. "I should get back to work," she tossed over her shoulder.

Ruby snorted and watched her niece as she inserted the plugs into her ears and adjusted the muffs over them. She was tougher than most and yet so fragile in so many ways. A smile tugged at her lips when the girl hefted a roll of wire over her shoulder and scaled a ladder as though she hadn't just been shot a week ago.

As the grin spread, Ruby silently thanked her grandmother for pushing her out of the door. It felt good to feel the sun, to see her family outside of the scent of antiseptic and decaying skin only she smelled at the hospital. She grabbed the saw with a lighter hand and lined it up with the mark on the board.

A vibration in her pocket interrupted her the second time. She sighed in frustration and then sucked a deep, calming breath before glancing at her phone. Controlling emotions was key in controlling the wolf. She jabbed at the screen and nearly dropped the phone.

Everything faded. The pounding and screeching of table saws and the whining of power drills. Her eyes misted with unshed tears that dispelled onto her cheeks when she blinked to clear the blur. The message contained only two letters, but the word it formed meant more than anything ever had.

Belle's name read clearly at the top of the screen, and below her question bubble came the response she'd dreaded. She smiled.

_No. _had never looked so beautiful.


	24. Guilt

Here ye be, my pretties. This may be the last post I put up for a while. My grandfather is having heart surgery today, so I may or may not be absent for several days. I did my best not to leave you with a cliff hanger.

Enjoy!

Songs: Monster You Made Me by Pop Evil, Hypnotize the Moon by Clay Walker

* * *

_**32 Days After Belle's Departure**_

"Oh, son of a whore!" Emma cursed. She'd held Annabel a total of twice now, and both times ended with spit everywhere. "Why does she do this?"

Emma crossed the living room quickly where Regina and Katy sat on opposite couches watching The Golden Girls. This family sported an unusual obsession with the show, but Emma found it humorous, so she withheld comment. She held Annabel at arm's length like something vile and pawned her off on Regina.

"Take it," she begged. Regina quirked an eyebrow, lips pursed in silent laughter. "Regina, take the puke machine," she demanded more firmly. Her stomach flipped with queasiness, and Emma breathed through her mouth, trying not to think about the vomit on her neck.

Katy watched Emma move around without moving her head from the fist propped on the arm of the couch. Her weary and exhausted body felt far too comfortable sprawled out with a leg on the coffee table and the other on the back of the couch. Her muscles and joints screamed for a break, but she discovered long ago that physical exhaustion led to sleep if given enough time to effectively take hold.

Emma pranced, smacking her from the dark thoughts, as Regina cleaned her with a wipe. Katy tried to laugh as she once had when Annabel targeted her blonde mother, but it only bubbled in her chest before fizzing out. Her attention returned to the television where her mind safely zoned out without fear of discovery. Regina placed Annabel in a swing while Emma muttered something about a shower with a wire brush and ambled off towards the foyer.

Her brunette guardian studied her for a moment. "Darling, it's Friday night," Regina pointed out as though it should have meant something to her. Her eyebrows raised, expression asking why she cared about the day.

Regina wiped Annabel's mouth with a towel and continued absently, "I'm not particularly well versed in the inane rituals of teenagers of this world, but shouldn't you be spending time with your friends rather than sitting at home watching television with your parents?" Regina asked carefully, unable to gauge the girl's mood. She'd been particularly broody since Emma's almost-kidnapping, and no matter who tried, they failed to bust down the walls of the secret she guarded.

"I have no friends," Katy replied sullenly. It wasn't pathetic or self-pitying. The words stated a fact. He forbade it. Unnecessary people led to unforeseen and avoidable complications.

"Surely, that isn't true," Regina countered, completely out of her element with the teenager. "What of Jacob? You could invite him over if you'd like? I'll make brownies for sundaes," she suggested hopefully.

"I don't like Jacob," Katy seethed, irritated by the mere mention of the boy. "I want to be here," she added more softly and readjusted her head on her fist. Her eyes remained glued to the sitcom. Even before she'd met him, her peers glanced upon her with apprehension and sometimes fear. She was different, raised to be a warrior, not a child.

Regina recognized the distant glaze of her hazel eyes indicating that she absorbed very little of the episode. Katy had experienced too much pain, too much loss. Her wisdom surpassed her years by at least twice her age, and he face held the lines and hardness of the gauntlet she'd run her entire life.

"Regina," she said, shattering the long moment of awkward silence. "You've done a lot of bad things." She lowered her arm and twisted into what Regina believed an impossible pretzel position. To have that flexibility again, she thought before focusing on Katy's comment.

Her brow furrowed as she nodded slowly. "I have." Perhaps Katy found trouble maintaining friends due to her past? Her stomach knotted with the thought that she'd caused this beautiful and resilient young woman more pain.

"When you…" the words choked her, and she sighed deeply, eyes slipping shut in frustration. "You've admitted your crimes and changed. People aren't really afraid of you anymore, but…" Katy sat up and held her weight on her elbows, head hanging low.

"I'm not saying this very well," she ground out, bitter at her lack of eloquence.

"Take your time," Regina encouraged and then patiently waited. Katy clearly struggled with something and opened up as much as she could. Any sudden movement would have scared her into a corner, like a shy puppy that nipped when startled.

"You're different now, but do people actually see you any differently? You've come clean about your crimes, but do they trust you again?" She finally managed, still frustrated that it wasn't exactly what she'd intended to say.

Regina considered the question carefully before speaking. "The fear has dissipated, I think, but I'm not certain I'll ever fully regain the trust I abused. Why do you ask, Sweetheart?"

Katy shrugged, head ducked low and shielding her eyes. "Just wondering if anyone can truly be forgiven. What you've done will always be there no matter how much good you do now, right?"

Regina nodded, though the girl couldn't see it. "I suppose that's true. Some bridges can never be mended. I still catch glimpses of fear when passed on the sidewalk or when I walk into the diner." Katy's shoulders coiled with tension, and Regina's heart clenched. She desperately wanted to help but found no clear path to the problem at hand.

"Is that what's been on your mind? Are you worried people will view you differently because you killed Neal?" She nudged gently, fighting the urge to wrap the girl in her arms. That ensured a complete shut down.

Katy shook her head and remained silent. Regina switched couches, careful not to touch or smother the reticent warrior. "Katyline, please talk to me. I want to help."

"Did you ever -" a sharp gasp stole her words, and she heaved gulps of air as she tried to continue "-hurt someone because you were afraid of someone else?"

Regina raised a hand, almost touched her daughter's shoulder, dropped it to her lap. "Yes, many times. Rumpelstiltskin was quite adept at manipulating my fear of him," she admitted, resigning herself to reliving her past in order to help the tortured girl beside her.

"Did you ever hurt someone to keep him from hurting someone you loved?" Katy's voice dropped to an octave so deep and hollow that Regina almost missed the question.

"I'm not sure what you mean," she pushed for clarification.

Katy laced her fingers on the back of her neck. "Did he ever give you a choice? If you didn't hurt someone, he said he'd hurt someone you cared about."

"Katy, what's this about? Has someone threatened you?" Anger flared in Regina's voice, and her hand smoothed over the taut muscles of her daughter's back.

"No," she assured quickly. It'd be so easy to tell Regina what he'd done to them. He swore to leave Emma, Alex, and Annabel alone if she helped him see this through. She'd witnessed his primal savagery. If she breathed a word, she and everyone she loved would die. If she kept her mouth shut, she'd only lose one.

"I'm just feeling guilty, I guess," she added. It wasn't a lie.

"That's not necessarily a bad thing given the circumstances. You're human, Darling. When you stop feeling guilty, that's when you know you're truly a monster," Regina offered what wisdom she knew and rubbed soothing circles onto her back.

Air puffed from her chest in one painful whoosh when Katy flung herself into her arms, sobbing violently. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Regina pressed her lips to the crown of her hair and wrapped motherly arms around trembling body atop her.

"It's alright, Katy. You're not alone. We'll help you through this," Regina allayed the fears she thought she knew.

She couldn't have been more wrong. She'd killed before, and Neal deserved to die. She'd given him opportunity to walk away from the fight with only a wounded leg. He provoked her further and sealed his own fate. She felt no remorse at the loss of his pathetic life. She was a monster. Regina said it, and of anyone, she would know.

"I'm so sorry, Regina," she repeated and buried her face in her adopted mother's bosom. Strong, calloused hands fisted the silk at her waist, and she soaked up the feeling of being surrounded by Regina. The chance to feel her love and protection may never have arisen again. "I'm sorry."

She cried until the tears dried, and then she cried again. She loved Regina. She loved her family. She'd entered into this agreement in a moment of pure grief and anger before she realized that Emma and Regina intended to adopt her. He'd been so sweet, so patient with her, and she needed a lot of it. He was right, only he saw her darkness… the beast within.

No one else could possibly love her but him. No one knew the real her, only what they wanted to see. He saw her and knew her and loved her. This pain felt unbearable in this moment, but he assured her that it was temporary. She believed him. Somehow, she trusted that she'd learn to live with the pain and guilt.

He scared her because he needed her, too. He feared that she'd abandon him like everyone else had. That's why he treated her so harshly sometimes, to make her see him. If he accepted her flaws, she needed to accept his anger and violence and the darkness. She reflected the same evil, didn't she?

She cried until Regina's shirt felt cold and wet against her cheek.

Regina surrounded her, and Katy soaked up every little nuance. The odd mixture of scents, baby lotion and sandalwood and a hint of strawberry shampoo from Emma's constant close proximity. The heart beneath her ear beat slightly faster when she cried and slowed once more when she settled. Her body was soft, motherly, despite the fact that Regina was the coldest and most jagged of all the heroines.

"I'm going to bed," she proclaimed suddenly and pulled from Regina's embrace and stood.

Regina followed, "It's eight o'clock." Katy rarely nodded off before midnight, and though she hid the fact well, she woke several times a night.

"I'm tired," came the lifeless answer over her shoulder a moment before she shut the basement door in Regina's face. The lock slid into place a moment later, and Regina jerked back.

A trembling hand hovered near the door, and Regina debated the ramifications of magically unlocking the door and following her brooding daughter. With a heavy sigh, she dropped the hand and returned to the living room to retrieve Annabel. Katy rarely displayed such vulnerability and probably required a moment to recover and compose herself. The issue had been resolved enough to be revisited in the morning, Regina decided and ascended the stairs.

She deposited Annabel in her crib, switched on the monitor and wandered to Alex's room. Ruby's lithe body propped against the headboard of the tiny bed, an open book in her lap and Alex tucked tightly against her side. Her red cape hung around her neck but had been pulled one shoulder, covering both of them. She couldn't change, not with Belle's heart in her chest.

Regina switched off the light and then eyed the full moon just starting to rise above the tree line. With soft steps, she crossed the room and pulled the curtains closed. Ruby coped with more than enough for one person. The last thing needed was the reminder of what she'd been denied because of what she'd lost.

"Leave them open," a drowsy voice bade. Regina complied and pushed the fabric back.

"I thought you were asleep," she responded, unbelievably happy to have Ruby in their home once more. The huge mansion echoed too loudly without a multitude of bodies to absorb the sound. How had she ever relished the silence?

"Almost. Henry still at Snow's?" Ruby asked through a yawn.

"Yes. He called an hour ago to ask if he might stay." She moved to Ruby's side and pulled the book from her legs, closing it softly.

"I might take Emma for a visit once she's finished showering," Regina babbled absently, relieved to simply be speaking with Ruby. It mattered little what was said.

Ruby smirked. "Annabel strikes again. I heard her bitching all the way to the bathroom without my wolf ears," she said wryly, amused by her friend's infant mishaps.

Gizmo chose that moment to leap upon the bed. The cat's hackles raised instantly, a hiss following. Ruby tensed for an attack. Regina intervened, scratching the black and grey striped fur ball behind the ears. He accepted the human love with a wary eye on the wolf.

"I'll put him out and shut the door when I leave," Regina rescued her friend from relinquishing cuddle time with her daughter.

"Thanks," Ruby murmured and ran her hand over a tiny blonde head before wrapping long, thin fingers around her tiny hip and pulling her closer.

Ruby perked, and Regina squinted in confusion. "The shower in your room just cut off," she explained.

"Ruby, you shouldn't be able to hear that with your hood on," she pointed out. Ruby had been doing that a lot lately. She knew instantly when Henry spilled that bucket of screws at the youth center while wearing her cloak.

Ruby's gaze dropped. "I know. It's getting weaker every month. It takes the edge off and keeps me from changing, but my senses still break through the magical enchantment. The anger will follow shortly, I'm sure." Worry laced every word, revealing the wolf's greatest fear.

"I don't think the enchantment is weakening, Wolf Pup. Your wolf is getting stronger." That thought alone paralyzed their vocal cords for a tense moment.

"How is it possible for it to be stronger than Cora's magic?" Ruby worried her lower lip and rubbed a hand over Alex's shoulder.

"I don't know much about wolves," Regina admitted with more than a modicum of frustration. "I'll peruse Belle's books if that will help ease your mind."

Ruby nodded. "Thanks, Mama Bear." Regina grinned and pressed a lingering kiss to her temple.

"You're welcome, Sweetheart. I love you." Regina held her cheek, maintaining pressure on both sides of her head.

"Love you, too."

After depositing Gizmo outside the closed door, she continued to her room. Her muscles gratefully gave over responsibility of holding her body to the firm mattress. For the first time, she actually felt her physical 39 years. It was 8:30 on a Friday, and the only thing she desired was sleep. Granted, she'd spent all day wrangling children and helping Bethany set up her new apartment, which was also similar to wrangling a child.

Ruby's fervent demands that they assist the young girl who'd trampled all over their tentative trust and held a huge hand in Belle's desperate flee from Storybrooke confused the hell out of her. She helped because Ruby asked her to help. She and Bethany bonded over their devotion to Granny the week she spent in the hospital. Ruby shocked her more when she allowed Granny to stay in Bethany's guest room without a fuss.

"Stop thinking so much," Emma scolded her from the bathroom door. Regina glanced at her once and returned to the staring contest with the ceiling. A fluffy, light blue towel covered Emma's body, a corner tucked between her breasts keeping it in place. Water dropped from her hair and trickled down her chest, meeting that towel in a bodily region that Regina spent time consciously _not_ thinking about.

Emma cocked her head to the side and studied the other woman. Her chest moved in slow, deliberate breaths. A light flush brushed her cheeks. The dramatic reaction to the simple sight of her in a towel with wet hair aroused Emma almost as much as her body riled Regina.

"Regina, you can look at me," Emma offered shyly. She wanted to be looked at, to be seen by this incredible woman who had been so patient and gentle.

A pink tongue wetted Regina's lips as brown eyes slipped shut. "I shouldn't," she answered.

The bed dipped, and Regina tensed. Feathery fingertips traced the scars on her chest. Regina held her breath. "I was so pissed when I found out no one told you what he'd carved into your chest," Emma whispered.

Brown eyes flew open. That statement came in last in the race of anticipated remarks from Emma Swan in that moment. Emma grinned at Regina's flustered gaze.

"Neverland is getting clearer," she said with a shrug and tucked the corner of the towel tighter.

Regina waited, but nothing more followed. Her eyes drifted lower the longer the silence lingered. Emma's collarbones glistened beautifully beneath the wet sandy blonde tresses across them. Those strong, immaculately sculpted arms called to her, and her tongue traced her lips once more, providing moisture in the sudden dryness of her mouth.

A flush crept up Emma's neck, and Regina's eyes snapped shut once more. A rough palm touched her face. "Regina, you can look."

Regina shook her head, lower lip clamped between vicious teeth. "Not if you wish me to maintain control of my actions tonight," she explained in a deep rasp. She'd been without release for over a month. Emma's growing confidence in touching her body and receiving touches of her own only exacerbated the problem.

"Oh," Emma said stupidly and stared at the bedspread.

The bed wiggled as she left it. The quiet sounds of Emma dressing filled the room, and then the bed moved again. "Dressed now," she whispered next to Regina's ear.

Regina shivered in response, nipples straining suddenly against the confines of her bra. She covered her face with both hands, muffling a whimpering laugh. It was going to be a long night. Her hands slammed to the bed at her hips in tight fists, revealing hazy brown eyes and rouge cheeks.

"I've been teasing you too much, haven't I?" Emma asked, not sounding the slightest bit remorseful. Hot, mint-scented air puffed against her ear again, and Regina's thighs clenched together.

Attempting to calm her racing heart, Regina forced a deep breath into her lungs. Emma probably failed to realize exactly what she was doing to her neglected wife. Regina knew her, though. The husky tenor of arousal in Emma's voice grew with each sentence, the unintentional riling of her body spurring the amnesiac towards her own uncomfortably tingling state.

"Emma, stop," Regina chided, irritation replacing the urge to jump the other woman.

"What if I don't want to," she countered, taking pleasure in the sudden rigidity of every single muscle in Regina's body.

"Don't play at words, Emma. I realize this is incredibly new for you and you've not had much sexual experience, but I can't stop or go back after we make love again. Do not touch me unless you are ready to be my wife again." Regina regretted the words the moment they left her mouth. So much for Emma setting the pace.

Emma felt the sting, too. She rolled onto her back and crossed her arms over her stomach. "So that's it, then. If I want to have sex, I have to want a marriage, too?"

Regina swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood. Emma watched her cross to the closet, almost wishing she'd yell at her, throw something at her, threaten her with magic. Regina had never not reacted to her before. It unnerved her slightly in a way she never thought possible.

When she reemerged, Regina met her eyes. "I didn't mean that, Emma. I'm cranky when I'm horny."

Emma rolled onto her side and dropped her head to her hand as Regina tucked one leg beneath her and sat on the opposite edge of the bed. Dark eyes stared at something invisible to Emma, inspiring her mouth to remain shut for once. Regina sported 'sharing face.'

"Have I told you that we were only married seven weeks ago?" She asked quietly, grief surfacing instantly.

"Only three weeks before my accident?" Emma blurted stupidly, already knowing the answer. Regina nodded anyway and traced the designs of her wedding band with a thumb nail.

Time passed slowly as the feeling of the warm metal consumed her thoughts. Emma watched the emotions dance across the stage of her face, take a bow in her eyes, and then fade slowly only to be replaced by another. Decision made, Regina's hand whipped towards her suddenly.

Emma accepted it and scooted closer. She sucked a harsh breath to speak when Regina pulled the ring from her finger but remained silent as she repeated the massively symbolic gesture with her own wedding band and engagement ring. A trembling hand held Emma's shoulder for leverage as the other deposited the rings into the top drawer of the nightstand and shut them away. Emma waited.

Once again, their relationship changed.

Regina settled onto her side facing her and touched her face with ghosting fingers. "There," she said, finality in her voice. "We're just Emma and Regina now."

"Regina, you really didn't have to do that. I know how much that hurt you." Guilt pooled in her stomach, reminding her how much she cared for this other woman.

"You're not the woman I married," Regina whispered, her voice wet and emotional. "You may never be again if you recover no more memories."

Their foreheads bumped, and Regina allowed a single tear to trickle down her nose. "But you are the woman I'm falling in love with… again." They chuckled.

Regina sobered first and pulled back slightly, enough to meet Emma's eyes with comfort. "I don't want to miss you because I'm waiting for her." Regina's heart strained with the effort of releasing the dreams and hopes she once harbored when she'd given herself mind, body, and soul to Emma Swan the day they wed.

Emma caught her tears quickly, knowing Regina already saw them. The weight of Regina's words pressed on two heaving chests. Emma moved first, brushing a kiss on wet eyelashes. A hand slid over a silk-covered hip. Regina shuddered and allowed Emma's body to wrap around her own, comforting, loving, feeling, coping.

"I'm falling in love with you, too," Emma dropped into her ear, a quiver of fear lacing the words.

Her body tensed, and Regina touched her chest above her heart. "Don't run," she begged.

A deep breath filled her lungs, and Emma held it until her chest burned and white spots appeared behind her eyelids. Regina watched her face turn red with a smidgen of concern but figured if she passed out then at least she'd start breathing again. When Emma released the breath, a smirk replaced puffed cheeks.

"Now can we make out like middle schoolers?"

Regina smiled. "Yes."


	25. Older Emma

Thank you for the reviews, My Doves!

Enjoy!

Songs: Breaking Point by Amaranthe

* * *

_**40 Days after Belle's Departure**_

"Regina!" Ruby burst into her room, and the witch shot straight up. Between the dim light peeping around the curtains and the disheveled state of Ruby's clothes and hair, she figured that the wolf awoke at her accustomed time to open the diner. "She's gone! Alex is gone!"

"Annabel?" Regina asked as she tossed the covers back. An absence of a second body in her bed sent a shock to her system before a smile spread slowly.

"Ruby, remove your cloak," Regina rasped with her morning voice, slightly irritated but also wildly amused by her best friend's paranoia.

Ruby obeyed with shaking hands, and then collapsed to her knees in front of Regina. The witch scratched at her hair and waited impatiently for the wolf to compose herself. "They're in the kitchen," she mumbled into Regina's thighs.

Regina petted her friend's hair and sighed. "I'm pleased you're finally sleeping through the night."

"Yeah, well, it's easier to sleep when you aren't being hunted. It's been three weeks since Jason tried to kidnap Emma, and nothing's happened. Are we in agreement that Neal went nuts and tore up our lives for the hell of it?" Ruby wondered aloud, and Regina hummed her affirmative. Even she began slackening the knot of anxiety that had become a near-permanent fixture in her gut.

"I just wish Belle would answer my phone calls and texts." Ruby nuzzled into the space between her thighs as a response, content to sit quietly in silence with another human being. An eyebrow quirked, smirk growing. Regina nearly counted down the seconds in her head to Ruby's second freak out of the morning.

"Why aren't you wearing pants!" Ruby exclaimed and repelled from the bare skin as if her moisturizer contained acid specifically designed to burn wolves. Her thin butt bounced off the floor as she scrambled from her friend.

"This _is _my bedroom, Miss Lucas," Regina purred as she leaned back on widely spread arms and crossed her legs.

Ruby sputtered. "You and Emma…" She waved her hand indignantly and pretended that Regina wore more than a red lacy bra and matching silk panties. Her eyes darted frantically and finally settled on the floor as she reclaimed the hood around her throat.

Regina chuckled lazily, the morning lull of her mind settling now that crisis had been averted. "Soon, I hope. I'm quite exhausted from keeping myself immaculately prepped." Her eyes flicked to her crotch and then to Ruby's wide eyes. The wolf glowed a bright red, and Regina almost felt bad about embarrassing her more.

"Why aren't you in pajamas?" Ruby growled and retreated to the en suite bathroom to splash water on her face. She understood Regina's pain. She'd not felt Belle's touch for the same amount of time.

Regina sighed into the memory of the previous night. "Emma removed them two minutes before she decided she wasn't ready," she murmured, knowing Ruby's acute hearing registered every syllable. Lazy fingers snagged the garments from the carpet and worked them haphazardly onto her body.

"You have more self-control than I'll ever have." Ruby emerged looking much better now that a heart attack wasn't imminent.

"Yes, well," she cleared her throat and exited the room ahead of her wolf, "if petting refrains from penetrating much longer, I may have to enchant a dildo."

Ruby's foot caught on the heel of the other, sending her stumbling forward into Regina's back. The sorceress grunted and hid a self-satisfied smirk for the umpteenth time that morning. Despite Ruby's many heated liaisons, the woman remained utterly naïve and flabbergasted when speaking of sexual acts. It created an endearing helix of experience and innocence, another reason Emma continued to receive free passes to take her so close to the edge only to leave her dangling with an insatiable ache. She found the combination utterly adorable.

Sometimes, though, Emma's teasing remarks floated nostalgia to the surface. She missed the light and harmless flirting the four of them shared before this mess started. If Belle refused to return soon, she intended to throw her back into the now abandoned asylum beneath the hospital and torture her for another 28 years.

When they reached the kitchen, both women stopped and stared at the scene that greeted them. Bowls and ingredients littered the island - flour and eggs and vegetables and a multitude of other dry articles. What the hell was Emma making?

The thought commanded her attention for only a fraction of a second. Annabel sat in her swing on the table, bright green eyes wide and attentive. Emma and Alex danced in the center of the room to some silly song about blood flow. The savior sang terribly, and Alex giggled and shrieked with joy.

"And if your feet fall asleep?" Emma asked the toddler.

"Not circling right," Alex answered, almost pronouncing the big word correctly. Apparently, they'd listened to the song quite a few times.

She kicked to the beat of the song, almost a jazz kick but styled to the rhythm of Emma Swan. Regina and Ruby turned their necks at the same time, finding an identical expression of wide eyes and slacked jaws. The song ended, and Alex clapped and then wrapped herself around Emma's leg. Neither noticed the arrival of the other adults as of yet.

"Janet!" Alex screamed, and Emma dragged the girl sitting on her foot to the table where her laptop blared School House Rock songs.

The two fairytale characters watched in fascination, never having seen or heard the educational show before. Emma, however, knew every single word. They swayed to the slow lyrical beginning. Emma pointed towards the sky in the first stage of sunrise. Alex followed her finger with wonder twinkling in her eyes. As the song speeded, she lifted Alex to her shoulders suddenly. Alex shrieked in surprise and the joy when Emma simulated a rocket with Alex as its pilot.

Ruby jerked, fearing for her daughter's safety as much as Emma's tender head. Regina stopped her with a soft hand on her forearm.

"Interplanet Janet, she's a galaxy girl. A solar system miss from future world. She travels like a rocket with her comet team, and there's never been a planet Janet hasn't seen. No, There's never been a planet Janet hasn't seen." Emma spun, the image of bliss. Regina melted at the glimpse of the Emma she'd lost.

"Wolf!" Alex called and clapped her hands. Emma froze in mortal terror at being discovered.

Regina simply stared with a softness that made her squirm. It looked a lot like love, and it scared the hell out of her. Alex jumped from the strong shoulders and into her mother's waiting arms, startling her from the moment. The timer on the oven beeped, and Emma retreated to the breakfast distraction gratefully.

The pan with two quiche pies barely clattered on the burner to cool when two warm hands snaked around Emma's waist. "Miss Swan, I do believe domesticity suites you," a sensual purr vibrated against the shell of her ear.

"Annabel is fed and pumped of puke. Alex and I are made breakfast," she said instead of respond to the insinuation from her almost-lover. "Kids irritate me," Emma added in weak protest, wincing at the lack of conviction in her voice.

Rather than allow Regina retaliation of that fact, Emma spun slowly in the embrace. A plump lower lip stretched between beautiful white teeth, and Emma swallowed roughly, unable to rip her eyes from Regina's mouth. She felt like a rabbit being set upon by a sleek panther. When those tantalizing lips claimed her own, the rabbit submitted willingly. She moaned.

It surprised both of them. The sound filled the room, revealing her desire. Cool hands slid up curved sides and held Regina's ribs, pulling them flush. Emma jolted bodily when her hips hit the island. Teeth and tongue drew hums and moans and gasps into the kitchen.

"Hey guys," Ruby whispered and swiped a hand between their faces, starting at their foreheads. Regina growled and glared a silent death curse that Ruby hadn't seen since the war between the White and Dark Kingdoms when she'd been Snow White's personal bodyguard.

"One, my daughter is present." Ruby pointed to the little girl staring up at her aunts in fascination. It'd been a while since she'd seen them kiss.

"Two, Katy just came in the front door. Either of you want to handle that or should I just go?" Ruby glanced between the two flushed and panting women and responded with one curt nod. "Going. Please don't make me explain s-e-x to my daughter already."

Satisfied with her point, Ruby chased Katy down the stairs. Shuffling and a light moan whispered into the hall leading to the large open space at the end that Katy transformed from a storage area to her sleeping space. A part of her knew that the sounds were private, not meant for her wolf ears. The dire need to discover why the magic of her wolf grew stronger slapped her in the face, completely distracting her from the issue at hand. Her thin hand poised to tap on the door frame but stopped short at the sight that greeted her in Katy's room. She should have listened more closely.

Katy fought with her shirt, back to the door. She managed it over one arm and left it around her neck and broken wrist. Bruises and scratches covered her back. The pink line of a bullet graze three weeks old stood out starkly against the pale flesh of her back. Ruby studied it reverently. They were all warriors. They all had scars, but none of them sported fresh bruises on their ribs.

Ruby rushed forward without considering the implications of startling a wounded warrior. Katy spun on the ball of her foot, a precisely aimed fist following. Ruby blocked the punch easily and caught the girl by her shoulders before she fell over.

"Katy, what the hell happened?" Fear-spiked adrenaline surged into her fingers, and she consciously forced them to relax on the trembling shoulders.

"Nothing," Katy huffed and jerked free. A sharp cry followed, and Ruby caught her again before the pain brought her to her knees.

"Sit," she ordered, anger swelling in her chest.

"Ruby, I'm fine. Damn it, leave me alone!" Katy pushed her away again but sank into the chair at her desk anyway.

"Hey, listen up, kid. Shut your damn trap and let me look at these. I think you have fractured ribs," Ruby pulled out her best Commander Red voice, and the girl settled.

A moment passed. Ruby nodded once, reaching silent understanding with her niece and pulled the fabric from her head. "Seriously, Katy, what happened?" She nudged and rubbed her fingers over the bruises.

Their relationship teetered between that line of complete trust and mutual respect since the morning they'd painted the wall at the youth center. Like Emma before she'd been injured, Ruby had been granted a hesitant stay of reticence. They never spoke much, but Katy accepted her gentle touches and hesitant comfort without too much fuss.

Katy winced, teeth drying painfully beneath the suction of cool air. "I fell off a ladder at the youth center this morning. It took me a while to get up," the last bit she admitted with an embarrassed mumble. "I'm usually back before anyone gets up."

Ruby laid her forearm across a muscular thigh and grinned up at the girl. They were so similar. "You've not been sleeping much since Captain's death. Is that normal or a new thing?"

"It's normal. I've not slept since my family was killed, not really, not beyond what my body and brain needs to function. Exhausted is pretty much my baseline. I've grown accustomed to it." Katy explained, a little disappointed that the lie slipped by Ruby so easily. Why could no one but him see her?

"I know what you mean," Ruby agreed, her worry fading. They'd not been attacked since Neal's death. She cautiously dared to place the blame for their latest upheaval on his memory. No one mourned his death, except Rumeplstiltskin and rarely Emma.

"I'm not sure I slept for years after I found out I was a wolf, not until Belle kept the nightmares away."

Hazel eyes studied the older woman's face, those haunted eyes that refused to meet hers. "How come?"

Ruby avoided the question and snagged the peroxide and box of gauze pads from Katy's desk that she kept close by in case of mishaps while sparring. The girl lived and breathed the life of a warrior with an odd mixture of teenager and lonely orphan. Ten years ago, they'd have been indistinguishable when studied next to one another.

Ruby dabbed at the scratches. "I killed someone I loved very much because I didn't know I was a wolf and that I had to wear my hood to keep from transforming."

Pain and grief danced on Ruby's face for a brief second before she slammed the curtain on the performance. Katy's brow furrowed in confusion. Who had this person been to her to cause that much visible anguish over ten years later? Ruby's gentle fingers washed the question from her mind when she gripped her arms and led her to the bed.

Nothing more passed between them. Katy changed into pajamas with her assistance and slipped into an agitated sleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. Ruby watched her sleep for a few minutes, only then remembering she was supposed to have scolded the girl for leaving the house in the middle of the night without informing them of her whereabouts. They fully believed her capable of defending herself, but everyone got caught off guard at times. She let it slide.

Sullen expressions met her when she returned upstairs. The hearts in her chest dropped to the floor and cowered in fear. "What now?"

Regina poured a cup of coffee and slid it across the island. With a nod towards the small breakfast table, she retreated to Emma's side near the coffee pot. Ruby followed their joint gaze. Eva sat at the table with Alex wrapped in a possessive embrace on her lap and Annabel's tiny hand in her hair. Her forehead rested on the small bed where the infant gurgled and babbled, the only two aside from Lauren capable of comforting their tortured friend.

"I've already called Amelia and David and Bethany," Emma offered, trying to be helpful in her compromised state.

Regina wrapped slightly trembling arms around her waist and tucked her head beneath Emma's chin. "Lauren's missing," she explained, unconsciously tightening her arms.

"I was called in for an emergency appendectomy last night," Eva explained, defeat evident in her voice and posture. Alex nuzzled further into her chest, understanding the adult needed her in that moment.

"It was a young child, so I never bothered waking her. When I returned, our apartment was a wreck. There was blood, not a significant amount. She fought whoever took her." Tears burned her throat, and she straightened her spine, teetering between rage and overwhelming grief.

Air pressure changed as the front door opened. "Just me!" Amelia called from the foyer a moment before she appeared in the doorway.

"I'm glad you called. This was left on my front porch some time last night," she gushed and tossed down a box on the messy island.

"What the hell happened in here?" Big brown eyes flitted around the abnormally messy kitchen and then settled on the box. The question remained unanswered.

"Amelia," Ruby caught her attention and then leaned in close with a glance to Alex. "What the hell is in that box?"

The copper tang of blood tickled her nostrils, and Ruby gritted her teeth. Yellow eyes flared, and Amelia almost cowered. A deep breath returned the rich chocolate. Another uncoiled the wolf's shoulders of tension.

Amelia's haunted eyes met Eva's and then closed. "It's a finger," she whispered. Eva paled further and buried her face in Alex's hair, shielding the girl from the horror taking place across the room as well as comforting herself.

"There's a note," she continued. "It says 'She should have let The Savior die.'"

"I'm calling a Council meeting," Regina broke the sickening silence. "I'm officially alerting every single citizen in Storybrooke. This has gone beyond our family and will eventually encompass anyone who shows us kindness."

"Regina, that's going to cause mass panic," Emma protested and pulled back enough to meet her eyes.

Regina removed herself from the embrace, distancing the lighter emotions from her civic duty. "I have no option."

"I'm with Regina," Ruby piped. Of course, she was. "Plenty of people help us. Who's next? Marco for rebuilding the diner so quickly? Shay and Dawson for responding to Emma's accident? How about Arizona and Dr. Torres for reading Belle's X-rays the day she was attacked? Or Ben for clearing the radiology floor for us?"

The renewed apprehension settled into them, even Emma who understood very little of the threat but knew it to be real and dangerous. Their enemy remained hidden, silent. This escalation threatened any who may have played a significant role in their lives, no matter how fleeting.

"Can it be reattached, Eva?" Emma asked gently.

Eva shook her head. "Within 6-12 hours, but something tells me that I'm not going to see her by then."

"I'm sorry, Eva," Regina apologized for all of them. "You should probably stay away from us. You're a target, too."

Eva jerked to attention, nearly dislodging Alex from her lap. "I'll do no such thing. If Lauren is a target, then I am already one. I've already _been_ one or can you not see the scars on my arm and face?" She stood, placing Alex on the floor gently, spine straight and chin tipped with defiance.

"If anyone can find her, it's you morons, and I'd rather get blown up again than let her down. She believes in you without doubt, even if I'm starting to question that."

Amelia stepped up. "I'll make a locator potion, but I'm not sure it will work." Confused disbelief followed the statement. "If someone took my potions or books, I'm sure they probably took the barrier potion as well. The instructions for setting it is right there in my book."

"But Lauren's a succubus," Ruby protested. "She should be able to convince anyone to let her go."

Emma jerked. "Succubus? Succubi are real, too?" The child-like whine in her voice pulled lifeless grins to lips, but none of them reached eyes.

"Yes, dear, they are extremely rare as are soul seers, which is Eva's gift. A single touch from another reveals their heart's intentions and desires and in some cases memories," Regina explained patiently. Emma opened her mouth to ask another question, decided it wasn't important, and clamped her teeth shut with a click.

Amelia chewed her lip and traced the edges of the box with thumb nails. "She and I…" A sigh. An apologetic glance towards her fellow surgeon. "We protected her heart, but she wanted extra insurance just in case. I made an immunity potion."

Eva turned her back, arms crossed tightly as she stared out the door towards the back deck. Amelia raked anxious fingers through her hair. "It only lasts a few hours at a time, but we had so many trials and errors that I wrote down the specific instructions. The one that breaks the enchantment on the heart, however, is up here." She pointed to her head. "No one knows it but me, so they won't be able to use her heart if they even have magic."

Regina nodded absently, working through the new information. "How much of this immunity potion did you create?" She poured another cup of coffee as she waited for the answer she feared.

Amelia laughed hollowly and shook her head, gaze glued to the box. Tears burned her eyes, and she blinked rapidly. "Enough for all of us for several days, the four of you and me and Eva. One or two people could be immune to her power for a month, maybe several if they staggered time spent with her."

Ruby slammed her coffee cup on the counter and grabbed Rumpelstiltskin's dagger. The reaction had become a knee-jerk response to magical stress, whether she realized it or not. "This is why I fucking hate magic. Everything we do to try and make shit better or prevent disaster is only making everything worse. Can we all agree that magic is a terrible idea this time?"

"It always comes with a price," Regina murmured. Her eyes, however, focused on Emma's slightly confused features instead of the wolf. Everyone's heart broke for her.

"There's more," Amelia broke the moment. "Caleb," her voice broke with unshed tears. "Caleb can mix potions."

When no one responded, she continued. "He's a novice, but with my book and detailed instructions…" She shrugged and wiped at tears. "I was teaching him more until we discovered that my potions had been used to kill The Council. I didn't know. I'm sorry."

Eva whirled, eyes glowing white with a visible representation of her power. "You think your boyfriend is the one attacking us, and you've only chosen now to inform everyone?"

Amelia squared her shoulders, head high. "If you remember, I was accused only a few weeks ago of being the one who turned against our family. I wanted to be sure, but too many possibilities for my potions warrants the information now."

"Well," Eva threw her hands in the air. "I'm so glad that you're sure now that my girlfriend has been kidnapped _again_ to be used as a pawn in some sick game. Thank you for that, Amelia. You're incredibly fucking noble."

"I love him!" Amelia yelled back, chest heaving with the effort of saying those words aloud and the adrenaline of the moment. She crossed her arms protectively over her chest. "I'm in love with him," she added brokenly.

"Okay, this is getting us nowhere," Emma took control of the situation as older Emma might have done. "Eva, take Alex and Annabel into the living room. We need to help Amelia recreate her potion book so that we know what we're up against."

Eva's chest puffed as though she might protest and then deflated. They remained silent until she exited with the children. They should have been removed from the conversation ten minutes ago, Emma thought bitterly.

"Regina," she turned to her wife and almost lover. "Get The Council together. You're right. People need to know that they're under attack."

Regina smiled at Emma who behaved as their leader, not as the insecure woman who awoke just under six weeks ago. With a chaste kiss, Regina disappeared, and Emma briefly hoped that she poofed to their bedroom to put clothes on first.

"Amelia, you get started on that damn book and a list of all the potions that you had in your apartment when it blew up," she ordered the surgeon who gaped at her with a sense of awe. Emma squinted at the reaction but held her tongue.

"I already made one just in case. It's at my house."

"Fine. I'll go with you to get it. None of us should go anywhere alone until we figure this out. Rubes, I need you to start on a timeline. Start with the explosion at Amelia's apartment and work up to today. Get the dates as close to accurate as you can. They might be important. Get David to pull the files from the sheriff's station if you have to."

"On it, Ems," Ruby replied immediately and disappeared into the foyer.

Amelia beamed up at her, and Emma flinched. "What?"

Amelia's smile grew wider. "You're more like her than you think, older Emma. You just needed to find your confidence."

Emma shrugged and headed towards the foyer. Amelia smiled at the familiar brown riding boots covering her jeans to her knee. "I have no idea what I'm doing."

"And yet, we'll follow you to the end," she whispered to no one in the empty kitchen.


	26. You're Okay, Annie

Enjoy, My Doves

Songs: Higher by Edenbridge, Face Down by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson

* * *

_**42 Days After Belle's Departure**_

"You should have seen them scramble into action when they found your finger," he taunted the shivering nurse.

He decided today was the first day he should see her, testing Katy's resolve to follow him to the end. She passed beautifully with a few reminders of what he planned for Alex and Annabel if she failed him. He reveled in the power of his control over her. One word made her shiver. One quick movement inspired a dramatic flinch of fear. He controlled her absolutely and rewarded her with his touch.

Lauren fought the urge to jerk against the soft restraints. She recognized them from the hospital. It made sense. Everything he'd needed to take her hostage at his fingertips the moment no one looked because he was so unnoticeable. He'd laid the perfect plan.

"Thank you for the pain medicine," she replied, consciously forcing herself not to look for the aforementioned missing digit. He'd taken the ring finger of her left hand. It was symbolic and emotionally torturous as much as physically. "That was very kind of you."

She breathed into the pain in her jaw, not willing to give him the satisfaction of knowing it hurt. She'd not gained ground with kindness. No clear path of connection emerged. The only reserve of power she maintained was the lack of fear. He got off on it, and she wasn't ready to relinquish that small comfort she had.

He rubbed the back of his hand and stared down at her. "I didn't do it for you. I don't care if you're in pain." He squatted, resting his forearms on his knees. "I need you quiet and alive. You're the bait, don't you know?"

Tears burned her eyes. "We trusted you. _I _trusted you. You were supposed to be my friend." Anger flickered and gave way to the sting of betrayal. She steeled her face, unwilling to give him more fodder for his emotional cannon.

"Aww," he cooed and cupped her face tenderly. "Don't you understand, Lauren. You have no friends. You're useful to them because of your power. They don't care about you."

She jerked from his hand and spit in his face. He stood with a chuckle and wiped the liquid from his cheek with a thumb. "Strike a nerve, Succubus?"

"Go to hell," she seethed. "I'd be pretty damn useless to you if they only cared about controlling my power. My heart is protected. They know this. I'm terrible bait if they don't care about me, you fucking imbecile."

She tried to double over, his foot forcing the air from her stomach. The bonds prevented the movement. She laughed instead, gasping through the pain. "Strike a nerve?"

He turned his back and straightened the already immaculately placed instruments displayed on the surgical tray. Satisfaction swelled in her chest, bringing with it a righteous anger.

"Is that why you went after Katy?" His back straightened slightly. "You're too stupid to manipulate the rest of us?"

"Katy is a magnificent creature. A skillfully trained and conditioned warrior without a true anchor in life. None of you saw the pain beneath the mask, the yearning to belong to something, to someone." A sickening glaze eclipsed his distant eyes. Lauren gritted her teeth. How had they missed that fact that he was a psychopath?

"She doesn't belong to you. I saw her eyes when you took my finger. She's questioning your methods, isn't she? Defying you. That's why none of us have been killed yet, isn't it?" Lauren tried to keep him talking, gather as much information as possible. When she made her escape, she wanted all the details. He'd already believed he'd won.

He squatted in front of her again. "I'll rectify that during our date tonight." His smile unnerved her to the quick. What had he done to Katy to make her so loyal?

She jerked against the restraints involuntarily. "Don't you touch her, you crazy bastard," she threatened coldly. "She may be consenting to you, but you're still raping her, emotionally if not physically."

He laughed darkly, turning her game back on her. She should have kept her mouth shut. "I wish I'd recorded the first time I fucked her. She's so very tolerant of pain. Never made a sound when I ripped open her maidenhead. Didn't mind the blood."

"You're sick. She's 16. She's just a child," Lauren hissed, struggling in vain against her bonds.

"That's where you're all wrong. She's not a child. Captain made her a warrior, conditioned the innocence from her, the softness. She hasn't been a child since her family's death." He stood as he spoke and rearranged the instruments she couldn't quite see yet.

Satisfied that everything rested in the perfect position, he picked up a blue towel and polished them. His back remained to her. "She made her hard but forgot to make her an individual. Without Captain's influence, she leeched onto the first person who offered her the next mission. That's what she was conditioned to do: complete the mission."

He held a scalpel up to the single light bulb in the middle of the room, studying its shining surface. "Child psychology is very complicated. Too much softness, and the child becomes co-dependent, too little and the same thing happens. Captain left her vulnerable, and I made her stronger for it."

Lauren raged quietly, unable to speak. Her powers failed her. Her body failed her. They all failed Katy. He was right, and it killed her inside. They hadn't seen what he saw. Her eyes focused when he suddenly appeared before them once more. She swallowed bile.

"That's why I'm going to win. I'll be the one to defeat Storybrooke's Heroines," he gloated, air quoting the word heroines. He propped an elbow on his knee and held his head, a syringe between his fingers like a cigarette.

"Everyone who has ever challenged The Queen and her minions has been emotional, out of control." He surged forward without warning and grabbed her wrist. She held still, knowing her physical limitations prevented her from harming him in any way.

"I," he stuck the needle into her arm, "don't have any."

"That's what this is about? Revenge on Regina? What did she do to you?" Lauren asked quickly. The burn of the medicine filled her arm. It felt different this time, a sedative perhaps.

"Ahh, I wouldn't want to ruin the big reveal, now would I?" He patted her cheek as her head lulled to her shoulder. "Sleep now. I'll be back to give you another dose during my lunch break."

She wanted to scream, to make him release her and then shove that damn scalpel into his own eye. Her powers glanced off him as though he weren't human, weren't alive, didn't have a chi.

She tried to scream.

Gentler hands touched her hand when she awoke. Katy's blank face appeared, swirling and swinging back and forth for a moment before it focused in the dim light.

"He gave you too much. You've been out for almost 12 hours. I brought you spare clothes," she said in a dull monotone.

"Katy, let me go," she whispered and then strained desperately for any signs that he visited with his mental captive.

"I can't," Katy whispered so low she nearly missed it. He lurked, she felt it.

"Katy, you don't have to do this. Just let me go. I'll tell everyone for you. You won't have to betray him," Lauren tried again, the small attempt at manipulation churning acid in her stomach.

Katy's hazel eyes held hers for a moment. Lauren heard the silent plea loud and clear. Katy needed help, but she was unable to ask for it. He'd threatened her or someone she loved. "It's okay, Sweetheart. Tell someone. Whatever he said he'd do, he can't do it if they know his plans."

Katy shook her head and focused on unwrapping the bandage around her hand. Her chest heaved with each bloody layer of gauze she uncovered. "I'm sorry, Lauren."

Katy winced, gritting her teeth against the cold air brushing against her bloody nub. She stuck a needle in her arm and dosed her with morphine. Lauren sighed gratefully. She refilled it to the brim, enough to take someone's life, and capped it. She glanced over her shoulder nervously and then tucked the syringe beneath Lauren's leg.

She leaned close, lips brushing her ear. Lauren barely heard her soft, shaking voice. "If you can't take it anymore. You're no good to him dead."

"Katy, just let me go. Leave the syringe and release my hands," Lauren pleaded desperately. "I'll do everything else."

A shadow darkened the light, and Katy flew away from her. One strong, scarred hand grabbed the one in her hair. "I'm sorry!" She screamed.

"Katy!" Lauren screamed, accidentally looking away when he bashed the side of her head against the floor. She struggled fruitlessly against the restraints as he returned. He grinned at her futile efforts and retrieved the syringe.

"No!" She yelled and pulled harder, weakened and sluggish by the injury and morphine. "Katy, get up!" Adrenaline thumped at her heart painfully.

Her relief lasted exactly one second when he injected a small amount and then set the medicine on the table. Lauren's face bunched into a painful mass. He grinned at her, nothing but evil on his face, glowing in his eyes. How had she ever trusted him?

"Please stop," she begged, unable to stop the tears that tumbled onto her cheeks. The moment the words passed her lips, she wished to take them back. He'd found what caused her fear.

Her eyes screwed shut tightly, heading turning when he slipped into the girl roughly. Katy's drugged body resisted, hands flailing weakly. Small whimpers echoed with each painful thrust. Lauren forced her eyes open.

"Katy, look at me," a hallowed whisper surprised her. It was her voice. Katy's head lulled towards her.

"Katy, just look at me, Baby," she said with more conviction. They'd survive this.

A solitary tear slid down the girl's nose. Her eyes hardened, telling Lauren that he'd already broken her. She'd endured this before. Her heart shattered. Katy escaped to another place in her mind. He was right. She belonged to him.

He thrust one last time and slumped onto her. Another tear followed the first. Soft kisses spread over her neck and face. "I'm sorry, Baby," he whispered over and over. "You know you shouldn't make me angry."

"I know," she rasped. "It didn't hurt." She lied, and her eyes tore from Lauren's when she realized that the captive saw it. She was weak and sluggish from the drugs and the bump on the head.

"Clean her up when your medicine wears off. I didn't give you much, just enough to keep you under control. You know how bad your temper is. I'm surprised they haven't kicked you yet for being so moody all the time." He cleaned himself on a blue surgical towel and then tucked himself away with a zip.

"I know. I'm sorry I do that," Katy answered, truly believing her words. Lauren hung her head, tears flowing freely. How had they missed this?

"It's okay, my sweet girl," he cooed and pulled her upright to lean against his chest. "I'll never leave you. I love you. I just wish you didn't make me do things like this. It hurts me more to keep you in line than it does you. You know that, right?"

She nodded weakly, reveling in the soft touches, the comfort. "I know."

"Why do you make me do it?" He demanded. Lauren rattled across the room, and his eyes met hers, enjoying her anguish.

"I'm sorry. I get confused sometimes."

"It's okay. I'll always be here to remind you of what's right. Are you sure I didn't hurt you?" His tender tone shot disgust and undiluted hatred into Lauren's heart. He knew exactly what he was doing to the girl they all loved. Their love hadn't been enough to keep the vulnerable teen from this. They'd failed her.

"I'm fine," she said and pulled from his arms. "I have work to do."

He nodded and kissed her slowly, eyes on Lauren's while Katy's slipped shut. "Make sure you remember your lesson. Don't make me punish little Alex like this because you can't behave. Just a little longer, and that bitch will have her reckoning."

"I'll be good," she assured and slipped back into her jeans on wobbling legs. "Don't hurt Alex," a broken voice begged.

"As long as you're my good girl," he soothed in an almost fatherly voice. His big hand petted the back of her head, and he pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "Now, do as you're told."

She crossed the room, jeans still unbuttoned, shoes untied and knelt in front of their prisoner. Lauren studied the girl's face, searching for a glimpse of that warrior spark in her eyes. When it became apparent she'd not engage the nurse in conversation, Lauren averted her gaze to him. He removed a memory card from a security camera in the corner near the door.

He smiled at her. Saliva gathered in her mouth, an early warning of vomit. "How awful it would be for Emma and Regina to watch Katy's betrayal."

Katy winced at the blatant threat. "I won't betray you. You don't have to send that to them." The minute he did, she was dead. If they knew of her involvement, she'd reached the end of her usefulness.

"I better not." He nodded once, apparently satisfied, and left the room.

"Katy," Lauren whispered. "Katy, look at me. This is not your fault. Do you understand me? What he is doing is not your fault, and it is not your responsibility to protect everyone, not like this."

Katy dutifully cleaned and dressed her hand without meeting her eyes.

"Katy."

The abused young woman crossed to the table and retrieved a second bottle of medicine, the sedative.

"Katy, you don't have to do this. This is not your fault."

She pulled the amber liquid into the plastic cylinder and returned the vial to the table.

"Katy, this is not your fault."

The needle prick barely pinched. Lauren met those haunted hazel eyes as the medicine slid into her arm. "We love you, Katy. Tell Regi…"

The sedative took hold. Lauren fought desperately against it.

She tried to scream.


	27. A Day Late, A Dollar Short

Soo, I'm breaking myself, how are you guys feeling out there?

Enjoy Lovelies!

Songs: One Step at a Time by Jordin Sparks, Sorry by Daughtry

* * *

_**50 Days After Belle's Departure**_

Ruby stared at the half finished diner.

Heavy sheets of plastic hung in random areas. Materials required for completion surrounded the new building. Power tools lay just inside, but no sound emerged from the structure. They'd warned everyone of the dangers of helping them, and most scattered to the wind.

"We can finish it this week," a deep rumbling voice said from several yards away.

Ruby bristled. "Go away, Jack."

"If that's what you want, but Marco and his boy are on the way to start work. I'd like to help if you'll let me," he said almost shyly, taking a few steps towards her, the strides much smaller than his long legs capable of stretching.

She tensed. They had much bigger things to deal with than him. Lauren remained unfound. Emma still had no clue who she was. Eva teetered on the edge of a psychotic episode, Belle was who knew where, Katy became more volatile every day to the point of Henry staying with his grandparents for fear of the boy's safety, and Regina and fucking Snow White had begun baking together. Her life had become far too fucked up to deal with him at the moment. Working on the diner became a diversion, a way to pass the time while they tried to figure out who silently attacked them.

"I got you something," he mumbled and sat two plain gift bags on the ground and then backed away from them. "I caught wind that you were interested in that kind of stuff, so…" He rubbed the back of his neck.

"I don't want anything from you," Ruby seethed, baring her teeth. Her grip on the dagger at her hip tightened. He hadn't yet convinced her of his disinterest in Rumpel's power.

Jack chuckled sadly and nodded. "I know. You don't need me, Ruby. Granny raised you up strong and resilient. You're learning how to control your wolf's rage. Something I never learned how to do until many years after I destroyed my life and everyone in it."

He turned to leave, stopped, shoved his hands in his pockets in a show of insecurity. His shoulders hunched forward just like hers when she crossed one arm over her stomach and held the other at her elbow. She huffed a sigh and took a step towards the incomplete diner. She was nothing like her father… and yet, she'd driven Belle away because her rage got out of hand.

"Marco has my number if you change your mind," he whispered, knowing she heard him "I'm proud of you, Ruby."

Despite her anger, the words shot straight to her heart. Her vision blurred, and she blinked rapidly, swallowed silently. Determination swelled, pride unwilling to let the man see her tears, her weakness. She tracked him until the sound of his truck door slamming reached her. When the engine rumbled to life, she snagged the bags and strode into the diner.

She sat cross-legged on the plywood floor and peered inside. Tears flowed freely at the first glance and continued as she removed each item from the huge, heavy bag. A thick plastic case came first and revealed a brand new tattoo gun and different head attachments. Inks of varying colors, sterilized needles and transfer paper filled the other bag. She even found a few boxes of individually wrapped gauze pads for dabbing ink and blood.

Her father tried to make amends. He'd even learned a new fascination she'd developed recently. She'd only had three lessons from the guy a few towns over before everything blew up in their faces, literally, but like everything else, her wolf helped her master the craft with ease. He'd dug deeply for this interest, almost on the stalker level, and she wanted to believe that he desired only to know her, to become a part of her life. Unfortunately, life demanded that anyone who hadn't already earned a spot in her family to be considered the enemy right now.

With the exception of Bethany.

The girl was emotionally retarded and too smart for her own good, just like her big sister, but she hadn't killed anyone. The moment things became too real, she'd run to them and confessed her sins. She hadn't the stomach to actually hurt someone, not physically. She'd still betrayed them, though, and still atoned for that transgression. Trust came difficultly for all of them and damn near impossibly once it'd been broken.

"Do you ever stop scowling?" Emma called from around the plastic covering the doorway.

"Not often," Ruby answered honestly and snapped the case shut. "What are you doing here?"

Emma grinned and sat on the floor on the other side of the bags, straight across from her. "Regina kicked me out. What's this?" She pulled the red paper back and peered over the side.

"It's ink for a tattoo gun," Ruby answered quickly. "Regina kicked you out?"

"Cool! Do one for me? I've always wanted one but never had the money. Well, I spent the money on heroine," she amended with a shrug. "Seemed more important at the time."

Ruby lifted one thin shoulder and allowed it to fall. "If you want."

"Cool beans," Emma exclaimed and dug into the bag to examine the ink colors. One side of Ruby's mouth quirked into a hint of a grin. She hadn't the heart to tell Emma that no one said that anymore.

"Why did Regina kick you out of the house?"

"Oh," Emma squeaked as though she'd forgotten about that strain of the conversation. She probably had, Ruby reminded herself. Emma's brain functioned in odd patterns now, connecting thoughts somehow when they seemed to be completely unrelated except in her mind.

"Yeah, she and Mary Margaret are baking, and Amelia is babbling about potions, and Eva is playing with the kids. No one is talking about the fact that Amelia's boyfriend might be trying to kill us all and Lauren is still missing. I tried to bring it up and kept stealing cookie dough and irritating Regina, I guess. She just kind of…" Emma flicked her wrist in a haughty, entitled manner with a dramatic expression on her face. "And I was outside the diner."

Ruby chuckled, genuinely happy to see the familiar interaction between her two housemates. "She used to do that to you a lot. Mostly to the next room, though. As for Caleb, no one wants to place blame until we're sure."

"Oh, well, that's good, right? If she's acting more like herself?" Emma picked at the melted line where the plastic connected around a box of ink. The woman looked as though she might burst into tears in a moment.

"What's wrong, Ems?"

"I want to have sex with Regina," she blurted, reminding Ruby how young and inexperienced she was.

"Then have sex with Regina. I can't help you out there, Babe," Ruby held her hands up in mock surrender. Emma sniffled a few laughs and put the ink back in the bag.

"I don't know how. I've tried watching porn, but I'm pretty sure real lesbians don't suck the strap on… or scissor for that matter." Ruby laughed outright, and Emma shrank.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to laugh. It's just… none of us really know what the hell we were doing when we started having sex. Just go with it and trust Regina to pull you through when you get stuck." Ruby offered the best advice she knew. Regina probably required very little stimulation to reach fruition beneath Emma's touch at this point.

"I don't know how… to trust her, I mean," Emma admitted with more than a little frustration. "The last person I trusted enough to fall in love betrayed me after getting me pregnant and then tried to pawn me off onto some stalker guy that I can't even remember. I never thought Neal capable of something like that. How am I supposed to trust Regina when she's told me some of the things she's done?"

Ruby softened. Emma's hang up rooted far deeper than insecurity and inexperience. "Ems, listen to your heart. Why would Regina tell you all that stuff if she wanted to hurt you? She's being as honest as she possibly can so that if you do remember something from her past, you won't freak out. She's preparing you."

Emma sighed dramatically, and Ruby hid a grin. "It's stupid to even think about that when there's so much going on. I mean, do we actually think Caleb is capable of this? You guys know him better than me, so I'll trust you on this one instead of jumping to conclusions about Amelia, but…" she shrugged, words failing her.

"I don't know about that. Honestly, we've only known him as long as you. Amelia knows him best, and I trust her as much as she pisses me off." Yellow flashed in Ruby's eyes. She breathed deeply, accepting the anger, accepting her wolf, accepting the situation. The rage settled, but the wolf stayed near the surface. It'd done that quite a bit since she'd begun meditating with Lauren, and Granny in her absence, and accepting the wolf as a true part of herself, not something terrible to be suppressed.

"What is your deal with her? She's one of us, and hilarious as hell when she's not moping over Caleb."

"Guess I haven't accepted the fact that she pulled you into an affair when you and Regina were both weak. I know she deals with things differently than we do, but…" She swiped an irritated hand over her face and released a throaty sound of frustration. "She reminds me of myself."

"Oh, so you seduced vulnerable women into affairs, too?" The words tumbled out in a sardonic, jesting tone, but Ruby's shoulder coiled with tension. Emma traced the hardened face with her eyes and immediately felt guilty. She'd never asked why Belle left, assumed it to be none of her business and a sore spot for Ruby. Perhaps Ruby had been unfaithful.

"Hey, where did all this stuff come from anyway?" Emma blurted suddenly, and Ruby closed her eyes, unsure if the diversion came from Emma's scrambled brain or need to simply change the subject. Either way, she was grateful.

"Jack," she said with a hint of anger. As pissy as the man made her, she preferred the topic of him to the fact that she and Regina willingly participated in an emotional affair in The Enchanted Forest that nearly ripped their foursome apart.

"He seems nice. Weird and kind of old to be giving you expensive presents, but…"

"He's my father," Ruby interrupted before Emma babbled on about dirty old men.

Emma's mouth formed a perfect, silent 'O' as a response. Ruby sighed, her entire chest deflating. "This is a piss poor time to be having daddy issues. There's too much going on right now to worry about something that trivial." She shoved the black case into the empty bag, busting the bottom with her hyper strength. A deep breath calmed the wolf.

Emma shrugged, looking far younger than 21. The gesture belonged to an angsty teenager. "Doesn't matter what's going on. Parental issues never go away. Regina told me that mine are here, but… they gave me up, ya know."

Ruby nodded, and Emma pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her shins. They shared a moment of silence for their familial shortcomings. Emma propped her chin on a knee.

"Regina said they gave me up to protect me from a curse she cast. She doesn't want me to blame them." Green eyes met an attentive brown, averting immediately to the window holes covered with plastic. "She's real hard on herself, isn't she? Everyone has a reason for doing what they do."

"She blames herself for the trauma you suffered as a child," Ruby confirmed and fidgeted uncomfortably. Emma squinted at the other woman beneath her ridiculous glasses she had yet to take off.

"I'm sorry. We were talking about your dad." She assumed that to be the issue.

Ruby shook her head and then cocked it to the side. "Marco's just turned onto the street."

She stood and offered a hand to Emma who took it without hesitation. Before Emma pulled away, the wolf enveloped her in a bear hug, squeezing the air from her.

She whispered into her ear, "I'm just not used to you opening up to me like this. A lot of stuff went down between us. We never stopped loving each other or being there for each other, but we weren't really friends anymore. When you remember everything, I want you to know that I'm sorry."

Emma hesitantly returned the hug as she adjusted to the lack of air and the sudden heartfelt confession and apology. "I'm sure it wasn't that bad, Ruby. We were probably making up."

Ruby snorted and buried her face deeper into Emma's hair. "You tried to kill me and then beat the shit out of me on top of the hospital. I deserved it. I was a complete ass to you."

"Rubes."

"I'm sorry, Emma. Sometimes I wish you never remember because I miss this. I miss us being friends, and I feel like crap that I wish that because I know how scared and confused you are all the time."

"Rubes." Emma pushed her back and wiped her wet face. "It's okay. I don't know what happened exactly, but I, me in this state of mind, can't imagine not being your friend. I'm sure older me felt like that, too, but from what I'm gathering, she's not that smart."

Ruby laughed and wiped her nose on the back of her hand. "She definitely brooded more, held onto things. You just go with it, ya know?"

Emma shrugged and moved Ruby's present out of the work area. "No sense in hanging onto shit. Life sucks and then you die. You just pick up more responsibility on the way. Although, the family part is nice," she added with a softness in her voice that reminded Ruby of older Emma. She was still in there somewhere.

"You like the kids," Ruby taunted.

"Annabel is a puke bomb. She only does it on me, though," Emma bristled. "Katy is a hormone bomb. I never know how she's going to act. Henry is curious as hell about sex. You guys should talk to him before he starts watching the porn on my laptop. That shit is not informative at all. Alex is cute, though."

Ruby laughed, her anxiety slipping away in the silliness that was her family's dynamic. She'd truly missed this, longed for it, even. She missed Emma, but like Regina, this version grew on her more each and every day.

Nothing more passed between them. People trickled into the diner, each heading in a different direction as Marco doled out their duties. Windows and linoleum for the diner and carpet for the inn suddenly appeared before her eyes. She only realized that half the day passed when Granny and Bethany arrived with lunch for everyone.

Emma flopped onto the floor beside her and wolfed down her sandwiches. The song on Emma's Ipod changed, and Ruby almost regretted buying her another one since hers had been destroyed in the accident.

"Do you actually listen to anything beyond 80's metal? I'm afraid Marco's heart is going to combust," Ruby griped and wiped mayo from the corner of her mouth.

"What? Good is good. Doesn't matter how old it is," Emma insisted with a dismissive shrug.

"I agree, Miss Swan," Regina's sensual purr concurred from the doorway without a door. Emma choked, flush spreading on her cheeks. Regina hadn't said hello and already dropped sexual innuendos.

The bite of sandwich slid roughly down her throat when she saw Regina's outfit. A pair of designer jeans replaced her normal slacks or skirt or dress. A red cotton V-neck t-shirt revealed her curvaceous waist and abundant cleavage. Ruby smirked as she recognized the clothes as Belle's. She'd taken her advice and dressed for Emma's age, considering they were mentally separated by almost 20 years.

Emma scrambled to her feet and met Regina halfway across the partially finished interior. "Hi," she greeted shyly. Emma towered over the other woman by a good half a foot in the flats beneath Regina's feet.

Regina smirked at her slobbering partner. "Hello, Darling. I brought cookies."

"Okay," Emma said and hooked her thumbs into the back pockets of her dusty jeans. "Wanna go for a walk? The noise and dust is kind of giving me a headache."

"Happily," Regina answered with a glance around the filthy work area. The emotion vein on her forehead popped, belying the pounding of her heart.

Emma snagged a handful of cookies and then took Regina's hand. They nearly made their escape, but Granny stepped in front of the door, arms crossed, scowl in place. Regina rolled her eyes. Ruby snorted behind them.

"You got the right idea by her?" She nodded towards Regina and glared at Emma.

The blonde woman glanced around at the varying expressions of the work crew. Some smirked, others hid in their lunches. Regina sighed.

"Right idea?" Granny nodded, not giving her more information.

"Granny, enough. Will you never give Emma peace? You walked me down the aisle to be married to her," Regina tenderly berated her mother figure.

Granny tilted her chin toward her hand. "Took your rings off. If you've started over, so has she."

"Oh, I get it. This is like picking a girl up for prom," Emma interjected, saving everyone grief from the older woman. "And yes, ma'am. I think I do." She glanced shyly at Regina, ears burning under the scrutiny of the group.

"I'm watching you. I was 21 once," Granny grouched, completing the stereotype so perfectly that Emma almost laughed at her.

Regina squeezed her hand once and leaned forward. "Granny, I'm twice that age, and I still exercise those thoughts regularly."

Granny raised an agitated brow and punched her hands to her waist. "Not dressed like that, you don't. I know exactly what those tight pants and beautifully displayed tits are saying."

"Granny," Ruby gasped, unable to contain her laughter. "As much as I am enjoying this, please let them leave. Trust me, this is waaaay overdue."

Granny mumbled under her breath but stepped to the side. Regina jerked Emma through the doorway, catching a muttering of "Damn Charmings" as she passed. Emma followed obediently. Thus far, everyone had encouraged her relationship with Regina. They _were_ married after all. She never expected in a million years for someone to question her motives with the older woman, though plenty worried about Regina taking advantage of her.

"She's, uhh," Emma glanced over shoulder and stumbled over an uneven patch of sidewalk. "Intense," she finished after regaining her balance.

Regina chuckled and slowed their pace, now a safe distance from the diner. "Granny has known me since the day I was born. She's as protective of me as she is Ruby."

Emma shoved a cookie in her mouth and chew the new information along with the delicious gooey disk. They were still warm. She groaned and hummed. "These are tiny orgasms for my mouth."

She froze, arm jerking forward when Regina failed to stop with her. They faced each other, and Emma dropped her gaze shyly, swallowing the cookie when her mouth suddenly felt too full. Regina's head fell to the side, studying, waiting, wanting.

"I want you to make love to me," Emma blurted in a fumbling whisper.

"Now?" Regina deadpanned.

"Maybe after I've had a shower." She sniffed her shirt. "Shower first."

"Emma," Regina wrapped her arms around her neck and stepped into her bodily. "Are you positive this is what you want? What Ruby and I said to Granny…"

Demanding lips killed the thought. Rough hands scratched over the light shirt at her waist. "Regina, I want you," Emma confessed into the kiss. "I thought I'd get bored being all settled and domesticated, but apparently, we live a life where death and destruction is imminent every day. I don't want to be kidnapped or die without facing this fear."

"How do you feel about baths?" Regina asked suddenly. A swirl of violet smoke swallowed the answer, and they materialized in front of a small wooden cabin in the woods.

"We have a love shack?" Emma bounced up and down, giddy energy flowing from her in waves.

Regina rolled her eyes and unlocked the door. "You've spent far too much time with Miss Lucas."

Emma skipped inside and touched everything, finding the dry food in the cabinets and bottled water in the fridge. Regina watched her bound around like a puppy and sat on the edge of the tub to adjust the temperature. A cold hand grabbed her heart when Emma traced the designs carved into the tall bed posts.

"Regina, what is this place?" An apprehension slid into voice, and she backed away from everything slowly and stood still in the center of the floor. Those designs matched their wedding bands.

"Our family built this for us as a wedding present. I cannot leave Storybrooke, so we spent our honeymoon here," Regina explained as neutrally as possible. She'd spent that week seducing Emma's magic out of her, and this day she prayed Emma learned enough to control it. It had no place during their first time.

"Our bedroom is fine," Emma pointed out, not wanting to tarnish the memories of this place for her partner.

"Emma," Regina sighed but crossed to her before finishing the thought. "Take your clothes off," she said instead.

"Make me," Emma challenged.

Regina's phone broke the moment. She growled at the offending object but pulled it from the back pocket of her jeans anyway. "What?"

"What? Again?" She ended the call and shut the water off simultaneously. "We must go. That bloody social worker has returned."

"What social worker?"

"I'll explain later, Darling. I promise. Right now, I'm refraining from turning her into a chimera and roasting her on a spit out back." Regina ground out and grabbed her hand.

"That's… wait, chimera are real, too?" Emma's question swirled in a puff of smoke.

She stumbled on the stoop, and Regina released her hand. A smirk tugged at her lips when Emma glared up at her from the walkway in tangle of legs and irritated savior.

"I thought a captain was supposed to go down with her ship?" She grumbled as she righted herself.

"Clearly, those captains never had magic," she retorted and opened the door.

"Is this how it's going to be now that I'm not in imminent danger of my brain exploding?" Emma sniped behind her.

"Considering that you are the most irritating creature I've ever met? Yes." Regina volleyed and ascended that steps. "Ms. Cramer," she greeted without missing a step, her voice a sudden sickly sweet.

"We were not expecting you back so soon. What can we do…"

"Marcie?" Emma blurted at her shoulder. Regina flinched when Emma slammed into the other woman for a bear hug.

"Emma Swan, you've finally recognized me," the social worker chastised. "I go by Madison now."

"Well, yeah, no shit. That stuff with your parents was fucked up. How have you been?" Emma clapped her arm around the other woman's shoulders and led her towards the kitchen where the scent of cookies still lingered.

Madison laughed and then spoke quietly to Emma as they disappeared into the other room. Snow stood in the doorway between the living room and foyer, a look of disbelief on her face. Regina raised her eyebrows in response.

"Where's Katy?" Regina asked instead of commenting on the connection between her wife and their social worker on Henry's case.

"Basement," Snow said wistfully. "Is she okay? She's… well, angry doesn't seem adequate enough. Today has been a good day for her, though. She gave Alex Captain's sheath after you left." They shared a smile, knowing the teen's connection with the toddler surpassed any of their understanding. "She said it's never too early to train a warrior. Alex hasn't taken it off."

Regina sighed and adjusted the strange clothes. "Today has been a good day," she agreed, a small smile tugging at her lip. "I'm not sure what's bothering her. I think the stress of this entire situation is affecting her the most. She's only just lost Captain, and now we're being threatened once more. We're all on edge. I'll go check on her."

Without awaiting a response, Regina walked away from the other woman who had become a tentative friend. It began as a farce several weeks ago to allow Snow to spend more time with her daughter, but Regina found that the presence of another former royal in the absence of Belle soothed her. She never felt awkward or pretentious because their mannerisms and clever articulation seemed normal. It was Snow or Bethany, though Regina preferred Belle to either.

Katy locked the door off the foyer as she often did, and Regina bit her lip. Just once, she decided and wiggled her fingers, manipulating the lock with magic. "Katy?" She called down the stairs, hoping her daughter didn't fling something at her for invading her privacy.

"Darling, I opened the door with magic. I'm sorry if you wish to be left alone at the moment. I wanted to make sure you were okay." No response.

Music played from the girl's room, and Regina smiled. She probably failed to hear her deep voice over the bass and drums of Emma's terrible music preference. They had yet to speak with her about Emma's amnesia, though they all recognized the slivers of grief in her eyes during every interaction. Emma broke through her defenses first. Losing her so soon after losing Captain had taken its toll on the resilient young woman.

"Katy, I'm coming in," she called and rounded the corner without a response.

She froze in the doorway. Katy lay in the middle of the floor, an empty syringe in her hand. Her eyes were closed. The other hand clasped a piece of paper atop her unmoving chest. Regina surged forward, not registering the movement until her knees hit the floor painfully.

"Eva!"


	28. A Reason to Believe

Thank you for the reviews, My Doves! So, who do you think is targeting whom and why?

Apologies for not throwing in a warning in the last chapter but I didn't want to ruin the ending. Suicide is an issue very close to my heart and the reason I am no longer a teacher, so I understand the shock of being blindsided by the mention of it.

If you can forgive me that, Enjoy, My Sweets, and leave me some love. Some rough chapters coming up.

Songs: I Won't Give up by Jason Mraz, Hold Me by Savage Garden

* * *

A gasp tore through the emergency room when four bodies appeared in a swirl of purple magic. Amelia straddled Katy's hips and performed chest compressions while Eva breathed for the girl every few seconds.

"I need an Evzio!" Eva yelled. Breath. Regina squeezed Katy's hand.

Amelia pumped, sweat beading on her brow. "Come on, Katyline. I will not lose you, too. Damn it! Breathe!"

A nurse hit her knees at their side, cocked some type of medicine dispenser and pressed it against Katy's leg. Regina stared. "What… what is that?"

"Naloxone," Amelia said, words bouncing with her body. "Reverses the effects of opiates."

"Give her another dose," Eva ordered. Another nurse tossed the pack to her cohort on the floor. She injected the pack and stepped back.

"Come on, Katy!" Amelia yelled, probably pushing harder than she should have been in her heightened emotional state.

Regina observed the flurry of motion dumbly. Her mind refused to believe this actually happened. So many questions floated through her head but none latched onto her consciousness long enough to make it to her mouth.

"Where's my gurney! Give me a crash cart!" Eva screamed at her staff. She'd not been to work since Lauren's disappearance, but her staff scrambled as though she'd not been gone an hour.

"No, wait." Katy inhaled once. Amelia pressed her fingers to her neck. "Got her!" Amelia yelled, relief in her voice. "Eva, we got her!" Amelia ripped the stethoscope from the hovering nurse's pocket and pressed it to Katy's chest.

"Oxygen! Where's my damn gurney!" Amelia yelled. "Pulse is weak. Lungs sound clear. Regina, get the hell out of the way!"

Regina propelled from the doctors a moment before a back board slid beneath her daughter. A team hefted her onto the gurney. Amelia climbed on top of her, straddling her hips once more. A mask slid over her nose, and tiny breaths puffed steam onto the plastic.

"When we stop, I want a damn IV in her before I get off this thing," she ordered. "Get a drip of saline and Naloxone in this girl, an EEG, EKG, and a CT to check for organ failure. Her blood gets to the lab first. I don't care what they're doing down there. We need to know her levels now!"

Amelia spoke as the gurney moved, the stethoscope never leaving her chest. "Someone get Dr. Hopper here. I'm chaining him to her damn bed until she wakes up," was the last thing she heard before they disappeared behind double doors.

Regina stared at the doors as though they may have reopened at any moment. Her breaths sound loud in her ears, slow and echoing. They surrounded her. They were everywhere. Spots of black fingers slid around the edges of her vision, lurking, waiting. They stalked her, spotting the perfect opportunity to pounce. Katy might die.

"Regina!" Ruby slammed into her, barely catching her before she toppled over. Hot breaths puffed against her cheek, and Ruby's flushed face stared down at her. She'd run all the way from the diner in less than five minutes.

"Katy?" She asked when Regina responded by grabbing her shirt with both hands.

The world crashed into her again, the black slivers receding from her vision. "She's alive. I don't know. Amelia's getting a bunch of tests." Her forehead fell into Ruby's shoulder. "What if she's brain dead, Ruby?"

"Shh, she's strong, Mama Bear," Ruby whispered, unable to control her own tears. "Eva and Amelia won't let her die." They believed in their medicine like Ruby believed in her wolf and Regina in magic. Once again they held the life of someone they love in their hands, both heartbroken and grieving for a love they feared losing, both fighting for them.

"Regina!" Emma called from the door and ran to them. "I got here as fast as I could." She wrapped her arms around Regina, taking Ruby's place.

Regina shoved her away roughly. Emma glanced between her and Ruby, shocked and hurt. "Stay the hell away from me, Emma."

"Regina, what did I do?" Emma asked, her little girl voice lacing the words.

"If Madison hadn't shown up and called, she'd be dead by now!" She pushed Emma's shoulders violently, and Ruby grabbed her around the waist. "If I hadn't spent so much time focused making you love me, I might have stopped this!"

"Okay, enough!" Ruby yelled and jerked Regina away from Emma. "Emma, go home, go sit with the kids."

"No," she defied the order easily and reached for Regina again. "I want to be here. What if it was Alex in there?" Emma pointed towards the double doors with one hand, the other on Regina's trembling shoulder.

Regina broke free and poked an accusing finger in her chest. "You don't even remember her! You had to be your stupid hero self and go chasing after Belle." Regina beat Emma's shoulders with the sides of her fists.

"You went after her, and you never came home. You left me alone, Emma!" She hit her chest again, knocking the air from her.

Emma wrapped strong arms around the broken sorceress, barely controlling her descent as they both fell to their knees. "You left me alone," Regina whimpered, one fist clutching her shirt and the other pounding weakly onto her shoulder at random intervals.

Ruby knelt on the other side of Regina and held a supportive hand on her back, taking some of her weight from Emma's arm. Emma met her eyes over Regina's head, squinting in confusion. Ruby's face slacked in relief, deep even breaths releasing her tension.

"It's about damn time," she whispered to no one specifically and pressed her forehead to Regina's quaking shoulder.

Sob after sob broke against Emma's chest. "Come back, Emma," she whispered.

Emma's heart broke. She wasn't what Regina needed even if she wanted her. She needed older Emma, the one who took charge, took control. She'd become older Emma then. With a calming breath, she pushed Regina into Ruby's arms and stood.

"Hey," she called a nurse standing by with a syringe, perhaps in case Regina needed sedated. "I need all of your records. I want to know every single time someone in this hospital used morphine in the past four months."

"Sheriff, you're going to need a court order for that," the receptionist pointed out.

"Will the Head of Council's spoken approval work?" Violent hands wrapped around her hips to refrain from punching the woman in the face. What the hell was wrong with these people?

The nurse and secretary exchanged looks and shrugged. "It will have to meet Dr. Zambrano's approval."

"It will. Whoever gave my daughter those drugs is probably the same person who kidnapped her partner. You really think she's going to say no?" Emma's voice was cold and hard. Raw anger surged through her veins.

The women exchanged another glance, and Emma crossed her arms, brows raised in brazen defiance. She dared them to challenge her right now. "I'll call records."

"Do that. And while you're at it. I want an entire inventory of your morphine supply taken. That much of a missing narcotic is probably noticeable." Emma whipped out her cell phone as she barked orders, hiding the surprise that people actually listened to her.

She dialed the sheriff's phone number. "David, I need you to start an official court order for the records at the hospital," she clipped half way through his short greeting.

"I'm already on it, Emma," David set her mind at ease. She gulp a breath of cool, disinfectant-flavored air. She liked David. He was calm and supportive without being smothering like Mary Margaret at times. "We finally have a connecting point. I'll let you know when it officially reaches Council approval. I'll keep Henry here with me until you figure things out with Katy."

"Thanks Dad," Emma said and ended the call. Ruby's shocked face stared up at her, and Emma stared right back with the same wide eyes. "David's my dad."

Ruby nodded.

Emma shook the thought away. This moment tested her resolve to be what Regina needed, what her family needed. She could do this. She wanted this. Magic tingled in her hands, and she pulled it back as she dropped to her knees and grabbed Regina's face in both hands.

"Regina, look at me." The other woman obeyed, unable to do anything else in that moment. She was raw, broken. She'd lost as much as Ruby, too much, in the past couple months.

"I'll get us through this, Baby," she vowed. "From now until eternity," she whispered and bumped her forehead to Regina's.

The older woman gasped and pulled herself upright, "Our blood oath."

"Just give me more time, Baby. I'll make it home," Emma swore, sounding more like the woman she married than she had in the past six weeks.

Regina flung herself into Emma's waiting arms. A collective sigh filled the waiting room when they kissed. It never registered in their ears, only the soft gasps and warm lips and hands of the other.

"I'll get us through this," Emma whispered again, tucking her head into Regina's neck. "I love you."

"Emma," Regina breathed, the name barely registering in the ear of the woman attached to it. "I love you." She pulled back and pressed her lips to Emma's once more. It was chaste, a mere fitting of their mouths together, but it represented everything they stood for… passion, honesty, true love.

"Emma, I love you," Regina repeated. Emma responded by pulling Regina to her feet and holding her close. They remained rooted to the spot, content to stare at the double doors and cling to each other.

Ruby crossed her arm over her belly and held the other elbow. Regina needed to lean on Emma right now for her own sanity if nothing else. Emma understood that, it seemed. She was smart, quick with the draw, and perhaps the most important thing, willing. The other children required her comforting presence right now, the reassurance that Emma and Regina weren't capable of giving them.

"I'm going to go to the house and sit with Annabel and Alex just in case," Ruby bowed out gracefully. "I'll pick Henry up on the way." Her presence only wedged between her friends.

Emma handed her the keys to the Camry and nodded over Regina's head. "Thanks Ruby." She ducked her own and pressed a kiss to Regina's forehead. Regina whispered something indistinguishable, even to her wolf ears and nuzzled further into Emma's neck.

"Call me if you need anything else. I'll send Granny and Beth by with some dinner later." Ruby smiled at her friends, unsure if they even heard her while so wrapped up in each other.

Amelia chose that moment to emerge from within the depths of the hospital. Ruby waited. Amelia looked exhausted, defeated. "First, she's as stable as we can hope right now. She's young and strong, which can only help her, but…" The surgeon doubled over, supporting her upper body with hands on her knees, allowing the emotion of the moment to affect her for a moment.

She hung her head between her shoulders and breathed deeply as though she feared passing out. "She's not awake. It happens sometimes with overdoses," she said and straightened. "Sometimes, they wake up and they're fine. I don't know how long she went without oxygen. She may have cognitive delays or other physical issues. I don't know. I'm sorry."

She wiped tears with trembling fingers. "And sometimes," her voice squeaked at an impossible octave. "Sometimes they just go to sleep and never wake up again even if they are physically resuscitated."

A high-pitched sound of anguish vibrated in the back of Regina's throat. Fingers clawed painfully at Emma's side, inspiring her take control once more. "What are her chances?" Emma asked, squeezing Regina tighter. Nothing hit Regina harder than her children in danger.

"I don't know," she admitted honestly. "There's… Emma, there's something else you should know."

They waited. Amelia gathered her resolve. "She's… her body is miscarrying right now. The drugs and the stress… given the hormone levels in her body, Addison estimates around six to eight weeks."

Holy rage tore through Emma's veins. "I'm going to bash his head with a baseball bat," Emma seethed. "What's that boy's name? Jacob? I'm going to kill him."

"Emma," Regina chided breathily. "Enough." Emma nodded and zipped her lips but refused to relinquish her scowl. "Amelia, may we see her?"

"In a little bit. She's still getting scans right now, and my team is hooking up the EEG. The MRI shows activity. I just want to keep an eye on it, so I can better gauge what we might have to prepare for if and when she wakes up. Do you have any other questions?"

Emma shook her head. Regina mirrored the gesture and slid both hands over Emma's collarbones, hiding her face in Emma's neck. Emma enveloped her in strong arms and pressed her lips the black crown of hair even with her chin. Amelia smiled at the familiar comfort and support of their friends. They'd be okay.

"Okay-" she squeezed Emma's shoulder, "- Eva and I are going to stay with her until she gets settled in her room. One of us will come get you. We won't let her out of our sight."

Ruby piped up when Amelia disappeared behind the double doors once more, "Same goes for the other three when I get to the house. Just… just take care of each other right now." She kissed Emma's temple and then the back of Regina's head, knowing the small comfort failed to ease even the tiniest bit of grief in their hearts.

Emma led her wife to one of the bench seats away from others in the emergency room. Though they glanced in their direction, most everyone left them alone in their misery. Emma slouched into the hard vinyl seat and accepted Regina's weight against her chest. Regina slipped her arms around Emma's slim waist, clasping her fingers.

"I'm sorry, Emma," she whispered after a few minutes of silence.

"Don't be. I know how hard this has been on you. You've never hidden that fact. I'm not quite sure why you haven't run for the hills yet, but…" Emma shrugged awkwardly and rested her cheek on Emma's head.

"I'll never leave you, Emma. There is not a single thing you could do that would make me walk away." Regina sounded sincere, and it broke Emma's heart a little bit more.

"Why? You can't possibly know that."

Regina clicked her tongue and nuzzled further into her neck. "You told me once that we make our own fate. We make the decision to stay and fix our problems, that walking away is a choice we both have to consciously refuse every day. I've found comfort in that throughout this trial."

She sat up and caught Emma's gaze. "I'm making the choice, Emma Swan, to remain at your side. Perhaps at first the decision came from obligation when you were terribly confused and scared, but you don't need me to hold your hand anymore.

"I choose to stay now because this is where I want to be, because this is what I promised when I married you. I bound myself to you. I didn't have to, you offered me your heart to keep. I made the decision to follow your soul for eternity. Fate didn't choose that for me, I did, and you gave me that option. You're not a burden, Emma, or a prison sentence. You're a choice. My choice."

Emma released a strong puff of air and averted her gaze. "Damn." Regina waited. Emma reclaimed her gaze. "Older me wasn't as much fun, but she had her shit figured out, didn't she? I mean, the unselfish bit. That's why my magic is linked to that. That's what she prized the most, her sacrifice for others."

Regina nodded and lowered her head to Emma's chest again, soothing herself with the thump of that steady organ beneath. "I think we can stop referring to you as Older Emma. You recover small memories every day."

"I'm still a mess," Emma laughed hollowly.

Regina slipped one hand beneath her shirt and played with the scar that stretched from her left shoulder to her right hip. "Do you remember this?"

"Cora," Emma answered honestly. "Magic hurts."

"That flash you had a few minutes ago, how much did you recover?" Regina asked, afraid to stop talking.

"Enough to know that you'd be an N'Sync fan if you'd actually listen to them." Regina chuckled, vibrating Emma's ribs with the sound in her chest.

Emma kissed her head and craned hers to the side to meet shimmering brown eyes. "Are you okay, Regina? You just discovered our daughter in her bedroom attempting suicide. I'll tell you everything later, I promise, but right now I want to focus on you."

Fingernails dug into belly, but Regina fell silent. Soft gasps puffed below her chin, and tiny salty droplets soaked into another ridiculous band shirt. Emma tightened her arms around Regina's ribs and let her cry until her eyes produced no more tears. Nothing she said could have made this better. The image of Katy unconscious on the floor with the syringe in her hand burned into Regina's mind. She'd never forget.

"What did the note say?" Emma asked suddenly. She kicked herself instantly when nails pressed tiny crescents into her stomach.

"I don't know. It's still on the floor in her room," Regina answered quietly, voice wet and soft and beautiful. How was this woman beautiful even when she cried?

"Emma, Regina," a gentle male voice called to them. They glanced up to find Ben standing a respectful distance from them. "We're moving her to her room. Eva's having her put on the surgical floor. Room 218. She's in the middle of the hall with at least three rooms in between her and anyone else if you want to post Belle's guards."

Regina stood and straightened Belle's clothes, missing the librarian more than ever. "That won't be necessary. Either Emma, Ruby, or I will be at her side until she wakes."

Ben nodded and jerked his head towards the elevator. "For what it's worth, I can't wait until you catch the bastard after you. Lauren is my best friend." He turned towards the elevator doors and discreetly wiped at his face. He'd been there for them almost as much as Lauren, just not quite as vocally.

"If you need anything, don't hesitate," he said with a nod as the elevators dinged and opened.

"Thanks," Emma said and returned his nod.

"I can't do this, Emma," Regina whispered harshly once in the elevator. "I can't look at her like that, hooked up to all those machines."

"Hey," Emma took her hand as the doors opened again. "I'll sit with her until you can, okay?" Regina nodded and allowed Emma to pull her forward.

She'd needed this, Emma's strength. When Emma set her mind to it, every single piece of her soul wrapped around a person, insulating them from the outside world until they caught their breath, found the courage to stand again. If anyone might bring Katy back from this, it's Emma Swan with her heart of gold.

_Please_, she prayed.


	29. Got it Right

Better see some sighs of relief for this one. Took me two days to get it right, and I'm not sure I'm satisfied, but there it is. A little long, but I don't think you'll mind.

Songs: Tattoo by Jordin Sparks, E.T by Katy Perry (Inadvertently wrote the second scene to the beat of this song as I was listening to it. It was kind of cool as I was editing, so I kept it.)

* * *

_**53 Days After Belle's Departure**_

"Katy, you have to eat," Emma encouraged the brooding teenager.

She pushed the wheeled cart away without looking at it from her position on her side staring out the window. "I'm not hungry."

"I don't care. You're going to eat something or I'm having you hooked up to a feeding tube," Emma threatened lightheartedly with a hint of seriousness.

So far, she'd been the only visitor Katy wanted. She blatantly refused Ruby and Regina's attempts and screamed when an unfamiliar person entered the room until the nurse or attendant left. With the exception of Ben, all male nurses had been banned, so they pulled him from the surgical floor to the psychology unit temporarily.

"You should have let me die," she whispered and wiped a tear from her nose. "I want to die, Emma." It wasn't angry or emotional. She stated a fact, arrived at this decision through logic.

"Why? In your note, you said that you were sorry for hurting everyone. What did you mean, Katy? Do you know who is attacking us or where Lauren is being held?" Emma managed and covered her quivering chin.

She'd remembered a healthy chunk of her life in the past few days, stress triggering most of it. The memory of Katy's breakdown during their wedding replayed over and over in her mind. She'd reached out for help then, and Emma shoved adoption papers in her face like a pretty present that fixed everything and then yapped about cake. Stupid, she berated herself.

She pulled her pillow over her head and cried silently. "I lost his baby. He's going to be really mad." The whimper sounded nothing like the strong, impenetrable girl they'd adopted.

"Whose baby, Katy?" Emma leaned forward, hands clenched into tight fists to keep from invading the girl's physical bubble. "You mentioned him in your note, Katy. You can tell us who he is. We won't let him hurt her." They hadn't yet deciphered which 'her' she referenced in that letter. There were a lot of hers to choose from in their family, but Emma suspected it to be Alex.

"I can't, Emma. I'm sorry. Please, just leave me alone. You should have let me die," Katy whined softly and hid further beneath the pillow.

"Katy, who is doing this?" Emma snapped in a deep, harsh whisper, losing her patience for a moment.

"Yes, that is the question of the year, isn't it?" Whale commented from the door.

Katy flinched, curling into an impossibly small ball. "Emma, make him go away," she whispered as though she didn't want him to hear her. She needn't have worried.

Emma found her feet the moment his voice disrupted them. She planted her stance wide and crossed her arms over her chest. "Get out," she ordered.

Whale held his hands up in mock surrender. He enjoyed this, Emma realized. She'd never liked Whale. He practically oozed icky vibes that left her squirming and tense. She believed his soul to be tainted in the sleaziest manner possible, and if her daughter wished him to stay away from her, then she'd have moved Hell and Earth to ensure that happened.

"I only came to check her vitals and listen to her organs, Savior," he purred far too innocently. His tone brought her forward two steps, and she almost punched him in the gut so that she wouldn't have to look up at him.

"Send Eva or Amelia," she ordered and grabbed the lapel of his jacket in two fists. "You're officially removed from this case. Come near my daughter again, and I'll tear your eyes out with my fingers, you slimy bastard."

She opened the door and shoved him out, satisfied with the 'oof' of him hitting the hard floor. Katy peeped from around the pillow, watching the interaction, and Emma smiled at her from the door. "Like I said a hundred times, we're not going to let anything hurt you."

"Who's on guard duty tonight?" Katy murmured and resumed staring at the window with the pillow over her head.

"Ruby. She should be here any minute." Emma slumped into the chair beside the bed and dropped her head to a hand. Green eyes studied the shivering body beneath the blankets. It was fear and shock, not temperature or illness related. Whatever happened to Katy over the past few months destroyed her. How had they not seen it?

"How long do I have to stay here?" She asked dully, and Emma gritted her teeth. Whale pushed Katy back into her shell like the idiot he was. She'd never feared men before, but now every single one of them looked like a creature from a Lovecraft story to the grieving teen.

"I don't know. When Dr. Hopper says your well enough to go home. You tried to kill yourself. That's going to take some time to sort through for us as well as you. Right now, you need to stay here and focus on getting better. We'll be there when you're ready to come home."

"Is Alex okay?" Her voice dropped to the deadened whisper of depression that had become her norm since awakening a day after the overdose.

"Alex is fine. She misses you, though." Katy always asked after Alex right before she ended the conversation. Three. Four. Ten times a day. Every time Emma spoke with her, she asked about Alex a moment before she shut down. No amount of coaxing or bribery opened her back up until she was ready to speak.

"I'd like to see her," Katy said, hope rising in her voice. Emma softened and fought with her hands to keep them from touching her shoulder.

"I think she'd like that. Tell you what, you eat half of this turkey sandwich, and I'll bring her with me tomorrow morning. How's that?" She wasn't above bargaining and manipulation to nudge her daughter into eating something.

The pillow slid slowly from her head, blonde hair frizzing with sweat and friction. "Will you bring me a nutella and peanut butter sandwich, too. The food here sucks."

Emma chuckled, making a point not to look at Katy as she bit into the sandwich. She wanted her to feel like a human being, not a specimen under a microscope, which described her life perfectly at the moment. She handled it like the little warrior she was, though. She never denied the facts of her attempted suicide, never made excuses. She owned the decision.

"Yeah, Kid, I'll sneak that in for you." Emma winked. They shared a look that said she'd be lucky to get it past Regina.

A knock startled both women, but they settled when Ruby's head peaked around the door. "Hey, I'm here when you're ready. Hey Katy," Ruby greeted. A frown tugged her lips down when Katy hunkered beneath the blanket further and remained silent.

Ruby's brow furrowed. "Okay, that's okay," she assured the girl. "I'll be right outside all night. Just knock if you get lonely, okay? I love you." She disappeared and closed the door with a gentle click.

Emma stood. "I'm going to head out, okay. I'll be back tomorrow morning. Hang in there, you little shit." A hint of a grin tugged at Katy's lips at the term of endearment Emma enjoyed using. Her Emma, not the Emma who woke up after her car accident.

She kissed the side of her head quickly, careful not to linger too long. "I love you, Katy. Whatever he did to you, it's not your fault, you understand. You're not alone. We're right here, and we're not going anywhere."

"He'll hurt her if I tell you anything, Emma."

Emma jerked back. It was the first time Katy actually admitted her involvement with him. "We can protect her, Baby. Just tell us who he is."

She shook her head and returned the sandwich to her tray with only one bite missing. "You couldn't protect me or Belle or yourself or Granny. The day I saved you was the first time he didn't use a condom. He didn't know I was pregnant, but he knows now. So, I'm going to lay here until he's done or someone kills me. Goodnight, Emma."

"You stayed in the hospital that night," Emma blurted, unable to stop the shock in her words. Everything led back to hospital.

"Katy, why won't you let anyone else in here to see you?"

Her daughter shivered, silent tears trickling down her nose. "He's not after me anymore, is he? That's the deal you made with him. Stay quiet and Alex and I stayed safe."

Emma studied her profile for a moment and then left the room without another word. Katy presented a strong argument for her silence. He'd been a step ahead every single time, and they lost. Katy wasn't crazy and didn't require hospitalization, but she felt safe there. Emma sighed and Ruby touched her shoulder. Emma tried to smile, grimaced instead, and took the keys to her car.

"Night," she mumbled and continued down the hallway.

"Night," Ruby answered to no one and settled into the chair with a book and her phone.

As she always did, she called Belle, listened to her voicemail message to simply hear her voice, hung up without leaving a message, and sent a text. Belle had gone far too long without communication for her liking, especially with the new escalation of kidnapping. Nothing prevented her from being grabbed without their knowledge if she returned to town in the middle of the night. She stared at the book, pretending to read, and resigned herself to circular thoughts of her absent partner for the next ten or so hours.

Emma drove to the mansion in a daze. She wanted a shower and her bed, in that order, with or without Regina. She got both, with Regina, sort of. The witch lounged in the huge bathtub when she arrived at their bedroom. Emma entered without warning and stopped abruptly when greeted with the flushed cheeks and soft sighs of her wife and almost lover.

Regina grinned like the Cheshire Cat and laid her free arm along the back edge of the porcelain holding her. "Hello Darling," she purred in a husky whisper.

"Uhh, I can come back. I just wanted a shower," Emma muttered and rubbed the back of her burning neck.

Regina flicked her wrist and then pushed herself from the tub. "Don't bother. I wasn't getting anywhere." Her tone dripped bitterness, and Emma flinched, trying not to feel guilty about Regina's sexual frustration. Regina warned her about her cattiness when wound up and had spent the past two nights apologizing for trying to push things to the next level because she needed a stress release.

"How's Katy?" She asked, pulling the plug and stepping onto the floor.

"About the same. She still won't let anyone else in the room except me and Amelia and Eva. Although, she did ask me to bring Alex to visit tomorrow. I think Amelia slept in the on-call room tonight," Emma replied, grateful for the distraction from Regina's naked body.

The older woman covered the skin flushed from the hot water with a fluffy towel as Emma answered and then left the bathroom without further comment. Emma licked her lips and tried to force the image of a naked, dripping Regina from her eyes as she stripped and stepped into the shower. The ritual of cleansing her hair passed smoothly enough, but the second slippery lather slid across her stomach with the added stimulation of the soft wash cloth, her body responded unexpectedly.

Not for the first time, she sat on the bench in the corner and squeezed her breast, tweaking and rolling the nipple. The other hand traveled over her stomach, a single finger teasing the hood of skin over her clit when it reached its destination. Regina's face flashed into her mind, and a moan vibrated at the back of her throat.

Her eyes flew open in a mild panic, and she slapped a hand over her mouth. This was stupid. The woman lay in the next room, ready and desiring her touch. Emma snapped the shower off and toweled her body quickly before she thought too hard about her actions. She wanted Regina. They both needed this.

Regina faced away from the bathroom, laying on her side beneath the blanket. The bare shoulder peeping from the duvet told Emma that she'd gone to bed without dressing, as she often did now that they'd reached that level of comfortableness. Emma slid in and molded her body against the other woman's.

"Emma, one of us needs clothes. I'm already comfortable," Regina sniped around a shiver.

"Regina," Emma rolled her onto her back and straddled her hips in one swift motion. "Shut up."

Regina squeaked when she challenged her lips to a heated duel. Teeth nipped her lower lip, leaving a spike of pain to be soothed by a hot, wet tongue. Emma moaned, and Regina answered the call. A sharp push on her shoulder moved her back, and she pulled Regina's shoulders until she sat upright. Larger breasts tickled her rib cage with hardened nipples, and Emma's head fell backward as lips latched to her neck.

A black head bobbed kisses across her chest, and Emma buried her hands in the silken tresses still damp from the long bath, holding her close and tight. Regina jerked back abruptly and glared up at her lover. "What in hell is this?" She traced one finger across the scabbed skin atop blue and purple ink.

"Ruby gave me a tattoo the day Katy was admitted to the hospital and you stayed," Emma answered absently, her concentration on not grinding her hips into Regina's.

Regina studied the ink for a moment, traced the swirling Celtic designs they'd chosen for their wedding bands. It stretched from the left shoulder, crisscrossed over the scar Cora left over two years ago and disappeared around her ribs. "Does this go all the way around?"

Emma nodded. "It's not finished yet. The shoulder and ribs hurt like a bitch. Ruby wanted me to heal before she finished it. I'm getting everyone's name in a loop, and leaving plenty extra for other kids and grandkids." She smiled shyly.

"I don't want to ever forget again. You're name is going here." Emma pointed to the oval above her heart.

Regina swallowed the constriction of tears in her throat and kissed the flesh just over the swell of her breast. "I love it."

"I love you," Emma answered a second before they met for another heated kiss.

It started slower, burned brighter. Regina's hands lid up lean sides and around a muscular back, avoiding particularly sensitive areas for the moment. Her heat joined with that above her, and Emma pressed into it with her hips. Everything felt different with a woman, and her body responded to the foreign bumps and curves and softness with insatiable fervor. The tension of the moment heightened every single touch, played the scene in slow motion. They both felt it, and they both prayed that Emma didn't run.

Regina licked and sucked down her jaw. Emma sighed, nipples turning to diamonds under the gentle attention. Warm hands memorized a taut stomach as they slowly moved over the goose pimpled flesh. A nip of teeth on Emma's pulse point. Hot palms covered her nipples. Heat spread, and Emma felt the scorching goo between her legs spread onto Regina's belly.

She almost apologized, but Regina smiled up at her and urged her to the side, laying her down with a tenderness unexpected from the extremely sexually frustrated woman. Her heart pounded furiously, painfully, but Regina smiled down as she held weight on her elbow and leaned over her. That small, simple expression pulled her back from the fear consuming her. They met for a languorous kiss, slow and gentle and comforting. When Emma settled, a warm hand found her hip, which responded by bucking into the limb involuntarily.

"Relax Emma, you can still say no," Regina whispered in her ear, sending tendrils of pleasure down her neck and spine.

"I know," Emma managed. A gasp followed when dull nails scratched over her stomach.

"I may have to go back to the bathroom, but you can still say no," Regina added lackadaisically.

Emma chuckled, eyes slipping shut as her body heated. "You don't have to coddle me, Regina. I'll tell you when I get stuck. Just touch me."

Regina didn't need to be pushed twice. A palm slid over the soft tuft of hair at the apex of Emma's thighs. Emma moaned and pulled her into a desperate kiss that told Regina exactly how much Emma needed her. With a crook of her middle finger, she slid through scorching wetness and ended atop the bundle of nerves at the top.

Heat scorched her stomach, flushing her chest and neck. Hips rolled. A throaty rumble rolled from Emma's throat. "Please, Regina." She pushed her shoulder lightly, and Regina knew exactly what her lover wanted.

Wet, popping kisses followed Emma's stomach. A tongue dipped into her navel, and Emma laughed, staring down at her with adoring eyes. They both needed this, but that shouldn't dictate the speed. No complaints fell from Emma's lips, so she kissed from her knee to the crease of her thigh, running a tongue along the sensitive flesh.

Emma sighed, legs spreading further of their own volition. The neatly trimmed hair gave her pause, unused to seeing it upon this area of her lover's body. The moment she spread Emma's lower lips, hands found her hair, providing all the encouragement and assurance she needed.

"Regina," Emma whispered, and the other woman glanced up her body with her tongue poised for action. "No one's ever… I mean, not that I remember."

Regina smiled. "Relax." Emma shivered as a puff of air ghosted over her spread entrance. Regina held her gaze as she slowly slid her tongue inside Emma's already clenching walls.

"Fuck," Emma whispered breathily. Her head fell back onto the pillow, one hand buried in Regina's hair, the other gripping the fitted sheet with white knuckles. It was hot and wet and slightly scratchy in all the right ways, and Emma focused on pulling air into her lungs.

Regina hummed, lapping her entrance with fervor. The moans and gasps and tiny little jerks spurred her forward. Emma felt so close already. One finger replaced the hot muscle that moved upward to the engorged hub of nerves. Gently, she slipped the finger to the first knuckle and retracted it.

Emma may have been just out of virginhood in her mind, but Regina knew exactly what her body capable of withstanding, the pleasures she'd enjoyed during their time together. Two fingers slipped into the hot space, gripped immediately by slick muscles.

"Regina," Emma whined and bucked against her. Her hands pushed above her, tearing pillows out of the path, back and hips undulating like a woman possessed. She needed more. A third joined the two greased digits, and Emma nodded.

"Yeah. That. That's good." Tingling adrenaline and ecstasy endorphins spread into her lower stomach. Regina moved slowly, and Emma's little sounds turned into long, lazy moans that followed the thrusts of her fingers.

Regina sat back on her heels and watched the fingers build a slow rhythm. Emma bucked one moment, arched her back the next. Sometimes she forgot to breathe and released the air she held in explosive gasps that almost sounded like sobs. The foreign responses intrigued Regina to say the least. Older Emma had been jaded almost, unemotional until the end when she cuddled into her lover and basked in the warmth spreading throughout her body and soul.

This Emma accepted everything at once, the physical and emotional pleasure, the mental release. She'd not been tarnished yet by this world. Regina moved before her mind told her that she wanted to and slid up Emma's side with breaking the pace of her strokes. Weight on her elbow, she pressed her forehead to Emma's.

"Regina," Emma moaned and tipped her face towards her lover's.

"I'm here, Darling," she soothed the other woman and the silenced her with a demanding kiss. Emma accepted it happily and wrapped one arm around Regina's back with the other buried in dark tresses.

Her strokes became firmer, and her mouth caught the high pitched cries with each upward thrust. Pressure built in Emma's stomach as her walls clinched painfully around Regina's soaked fingers. Hips rolled enthusiastically and then stilled to an abrupt, screeching halt as Emma's back lifted from the bed in a sensual arch that spoke of absolute pleasure.

She collapsed to the bed, grinning and flushed. Two shaking hands grabbed each side of her head, and she laughed. "Holy shit."

Regina lowered her lips to Emma's once more, grinning into it wickedly. With a jerk of her hand, Emma squirmed and loosed a cry that surely alerted the adults downstairs to their activities. She'd always been loud, apparently. Regina pounded into her, taking her higher on the waves of her first climax.

"Regina, Regina, Regina," Emma panted over and over, like a prayer mantra and squeezed their bodies together.

Nails raked Regina's back. She grinned into the pain and created another first for Emma. Green eyes flew open wide when Regina used her knowledge of Emma's body to her advantage and pressed deeply into her slurping walls. That rough patch lay further back in Emma than any other woman she'd ever bedded before, her fingers barely long enough to reach it.

Emma opened her mouth several times, and Regina simply held her fingers against her g-spot, allowing her time to adjust to the intense pleasure.

"What is that magical place?" Emma whispered and pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes.

Regina nipped her ear lobe without answering and wiggled her fingers lightly over the bundle of nerves. Emma squirmed and then yelped when Regina stroked her once more, ensuring to jab the ribbed flesh inside with each penetration. A high pitched moan accompanied every breath, and Regina allowed them, mindful of Emma's insecurities. This was about pleasure, not modesty. Let Snow cover her sensitive ears if she didn't want to hear her daughter screaming Regina's name.

"Regina!" Emma called as if on cue, and Regina grinned evilly.

The bubble of overwhelming pressure built. A detonation of heat exploded in Emma's stomach, frightening her with the intensity and leaving splotches of flushed skin and white flower-shaped patches all over her pale skin. Panic swelled, gripping her chest, but her mouth lost the words. "Regina, I'm… Fuck!"

Starburst popped into the darkness behind her eyelids. The muscles in her stomach and around Regina's fingers clenched painfully. She grabbed the hand between her legs, holding pressure as the wave peaked and crashed the second time without further stimulation.

Fingers dug into the flesh of Regina's back and then relaxed as both hands fell limp. Emma stared at the ceiling, shivering with each wave Regina dragged out of her ecstasy-filled body. Tender kisses along her jaw tethered her to reality even though her body wanted to float up to the stars just outside the window.

"I love you, Emma," made her jerk with the realization of what they'd just done. They confirmed their relationship, took that great big, giant step towards marriage once more, and Emma fought the panic. She'd found someone worth fighting for, someone who put her first and rode the hard waves without running for the shore. If she inspired half the faith in Regina that Regina inspired in her, she understood why they'd never walk away from each other.

Rather than answer properly, too emotional to voice her thoughts, Emma wrapped her arms around Regina's neck and held her tightly. She wanted to cry and scream and push Regina out of the bed and run away and find out some way to attach her body to Regina's so that she never had to be parted from her. It'd never felt like this with Neal.

"I don't think I've ever experienced an orgasm before," she blurted wistfully. The words tumbled out before she even acknowledged that she'd thought them.

Regina raised her head as much as possible in Emma's firm grasp. "Seriously?"

Regina bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing at Neal's utter failure. This was not the appropriate time or place. A part of her felt bad for Emma. Neal had been her first lover, took her virginity. He hadn't bothered to do it properly, and it pissed Regina off to the point of considering asking Whale to resurrect him so that she might have the pleasure of killing him again.

"Regina," Emma's soft voice broke her dark thoughts. "What do you like?"

The witch smirked. "Everything."

Air caught in Emma's throat, and Regina's smirk grew into a grin. A hand trailed a defined bicep. Fingers danced over a twitching forearm and ended their trek by wrapping around Emma's. Without breaking eye contact, Regina positioned Emma's hand on the skin belly her belly button. A thumb brushed the caesarean scar from Annabel's birth, and Regina held her breath unconsciously, scared of Emma's reaction.

Her body lacked the firmness she'd maintained up to the point of her pregnancy. Older Emma understood, revered the changes as proof of Regina carrying her child. Tender kisses followed, and Emma traced the length of the scar before covering it with her hand. She understood, Regina realized and released the captive air in her lungs.

"Is it always like this with us? This intense?" Emma asked suddenly.

Regina answered with a kiss and a warm hand on her neck. "It gets better."

Emphasizing her words, Regina guided her hand until they cupped her fevered mound together. They both sighed at first contact. Regina's eyelids fluttered, and she fought the urge to close them. "Gods, I've missed you," she whispered a moment before claiming Emma's lips.

A more skilled hand directed the larger one beneath it, pushing a finger through the slickness until it brushed her clit. Regina gasped, breaking the kiss. Breaths mingled, mouths an inch apart, when Emma took control of her hand and pressed lightly into the distended bump of pleasure.

Gaining confidence, the hand slid until the heel held pressure against Regina's clit. Using her superior strength, Emma flipped their positions and reclaimed Regina's lips. The tip of her middle finger teased at the hot entrance weeping milky liquid. She held the position and pulled back, watching Regina squirm beneath her.

Magic tingled at her hands. Regina inhaled sharply, and Emma grabbed at the tendrils of energy and trapped them within her. "Sorry," she whispered as she lowered her mouth to Regina's breast.

The tentative flicks across the huge brown nipple matched the slow pace of her circling heel. Regina jerked. A hand grabbed Emma's hair. She forced it to relax at the wince of pain and planted it firmly on one of those arms she admired. Emma abandoned the nipple and simply watched the other woman wriggle, bent legs moving her body up and down the bed in search of more stimulation.

"Please Emma, inside," she instructed, reminding herself of Emma's inexperience with not only sex but also her body. She'd not learned to read her signals yet.

Two trembling fingers pushed past her entrance, and Regina sank onto them as her body moved once more. "Help me find it," Emma said earnestly. She wanted to please Regina so badly that her magic practically beat against the inside of her dermis in an effort to escape.

"Bend your… yes," Regina instructed once more, losing her place when Emma followed before she finished the command. "Pull out a little. Mine's not as deep as yours."

Emma followed, brushing over a firmer patch of skin about the size of a quarter with a dip in the middle. Regina jerked, fingers digging painfully into her arm. "There, Emma!"

A hint of pride filled Emma at the positively primal growl that tore from Regina's throat when she pushed inside all the way and dragged her crooked fingers over that spot. She repeated the motion several times, familiarizing herself with the position of her fingers. After the fourth time, she noticed Regina's death glare.

"Are you quite finished experimenting?" She snarked, queen showing in her dark eyes.

Emma swallowed and nodded, unable to speak as the rush of adrenaline and renewed arousal filled her. Fresh liquid trickled between her legs, and her eyes slipped shut, blocking out that animalistic glint in her lover's eyes.

"Then fuck me," Regina commanded. Emma obeyed.

Regina's head hit the pillow violently when Emma slammed into her. Her body continued it's frantic rocking, and Emma breathed deeply, trying not pass out as a thousand new sensations slammed into her. Hot wet walls clenched her fingers. Nails scraped her shoulder. Regina's hot breaths puffed against her face.

Feeling adventurous, she added a third finger. Regina stilled for one moment and then rocked against her hand again. Gasps and throaty moans intoxicated her, and she knew in that moment she'd found her new addiction. They grew in volume the harder she thrust.

"Emma," Regina gasped.

Sweat glistened in the dim light of the lamp by their bed. Regina's emotion vein popped. Emma faltered momentarily, struck by the sheer beauty of Regina coming undone with flushed cheeks and heaving chest. She wanted to watch this all night.

When Regina whimpered in frustration, Emma angled her fingers upward without slowing her pace and bumped that patch of ribbed flesh. Black hair stuck in damp spots on her forehead when she flung it into the pillow again. Hot, wet muscles pinched and stilled Emma's fingers as Regina lifted from the bed. Emma studied her face, fascinating and completely hooked.

She'd never brought anyone to orgasm before. Sure, Neal got off inside of her, but she mostly laid there while he grunted and pounded into her. She'd never been this intimate, held this much power over another human being completely exposed and vulnerable. She wanted more.

Before Regina opened her eyes, demanding lips covered hers, and yearning fingers moved within her now tight walls. Instinctively, Emma jiggled her thumb on her clit, helping her produce more juice and coaxing the muscles into loosening. Regina moaned into her mouth, vibrating their lips. Breaths came in fast, shallow puffs, and Emma redirected her lips and teeth to Regina's windpipe as the woman tipped her head back.

When her fingers moved comfortably, Emma built a slow rhythm, experiencing everything all over again. Regina growled, and she responded with a sharp thrust that tamed it to a whimper. Those velvet-like walls slurped at her fingers, and Emma moaned into her sensation, face hidden in Regina's chest. She wanted to fuck Regina forever.

Emma's reaction to her arousal pushed her higher. Nails slid up her spine as Regina jumped and rolled against her. She was close, Emma realized and found that patch that made Regina climb the walls. With a gasp and a tremor and an explosion of air, Regina came undone in her hand once more.

Frantic arms wrapped around her neck and shoulders, and Emma winced when teeth sank into her neck. She'd never brought this reaction out in anyone else before, but Regina splayed everything open - her heart, her body, her primal sexuality. She gave everything to her, and Emma cradled it gently, knowing how scary it could be to split open and pour everything into the hands of another.

She met her for another heated kiss. She wanted more. Her lips moved to Regina's chest to teased across those sensitive scars with the tip of her tongue. Her hand moved between Regina's legs before she even realized that she'd given it the command.

"Emma," Regina whimpered. It sounded different this time, and Emma jerked back, fearful of having done something wrong.

"Do you want me to stop?" She asked, the trepidation in her voice laced with a hint of insecurity.

Regina paused and considered the question seriously. Her body's stimulation had reached almost painfully pleasurable. Her clit burned with every touch, her insides clenched and quivered, poised for more. Without preamble, she pushed Emma's shoulder and straddled her hips.

Emma's fingers impaled her to the hilt with the added pressure of her body on top, and she fell forward, catching her weight on her elbows on Emma's chest. Her lover grunted as the air left her lungs, and Regina scrambled to move the weight to either side of Emma's head.

"Are you okay?" She asked gently, scared the sudden pain or show of dominance may have frightened the younger version of her lover that took two years to coax The Queen out of her.

"I'm good," she assured with an arrogant smirk and thrust upwards.

Regina moaned and bit the other side of her neck. Emma answered with a moan of her own, breathing into the pain as Regina pumped herself onto her stiffened fingers. An arm slipped beneath her neck, taking the brunt of Regina's weight on one forearm, and the other disappeared between their bodies.

Emma's arm extended it's full length to maintain contact when Regina moved down a few inches to slip two fingers inside of her. "Fuck, Regina." The woman on top smiled and pulled a dusty pink nipple into her mouth. Emma had worked herself up so much getting her off that she already clenched at her fingers.

Emma's hand lost focus in light of her own pleasure. A sliver of irritation tore through her as well as the desire to take Regina to that chasm first and drop kick her off. Her magic activated without her permission. Regina cried out. Teeth clamped the side of the fleshy mound before them. Emma's magic pulsed and tingled inside of her, filling every crevice with the undiluted love and devotion of Emma Swan. A tiny rippling orgasm stilled her momentarily, weakening Emma's magic to a dull hum.

"If you wish, Miss Swan," she grunted and shot her own magic into Emma's clenching core. Those teeth reclaimed her breast as they struggled to maintain control of their magic and bodies, neither willing to yield first as they moved frantically against the other's hand.

Regina pumped her hand sloppily, trusting her magic to fulfill the rest. Emma pressed the heel of her magic-laced hand to Regina's clit, and the woman above her threw her head back in a wanton display of voluptuous motion and carnal sexuality. She'd done that to her, Emma thought, pushing herself over the edge.

Her back arch from the bed, breasts pressing into the larger ones dangling above her. She thrust into Regina with everything she had left as she toppled over the precipice of bliss and lost control to the pleasure endorphins numbing her limbs. She held on tight as they tumbled into the fissure of ecstasy together. Regina collapsed atop her chest, panting hot, wet breaths onto the burning breast bearing a purple badge in the shape of her teeth.

"Didn't mean -" Emma panted, unable to fill her lungs with enough air to finished the thought. White spots danced in her vision. Regina raised the hand beside her head and dropped it to the bed as a response.

"Wrist," Emma gasped, and somehow Regina raised enough for Emma to pull free. She retrieved her own, and they both shuddered with the ripple of pleasure that followed.

Emma swiped her hand over the sheet and left it in the wetness to dry, too shaky to move. Regina shivered, the sweat cooling quickly on her back. She grumbled and rolled away momentarily to snatch the blanket from the floor where one of them had kicked it. Emma scooted into a comfortable position and waited for Regina to fall against her chest again.

"Love you," she murmured and nuzzled her nose into damp black hair.

Regina grinned against her chest as Emma tossed her arm above her head and tucked it beneath the pillow. Her hand slid over defined stomach muscles quivering with spent adrenaline, pleased to find a larger hand waiting for her at Emma's left hip.

"I love you, too, Darling," she breathed, eyes refusing to open once more. Regina believed she might actually sleep through the night for the first time since Belle left.

"Was this a one time performance or will you be back for another show?" Emma asked, hand flexing atop Regina's anxiously. The not-so-subtle attempt at asking how she'd done inspired a chuckle.

"You're my new favorite solo artist," Regina answered in a sleepy rasp. Emma smiled and pressed a kiss to Regina's forehead.

"Can't wait to meet the band," Emma joked. Regina chuckled. She had no clue what their sex toy arsenal entailed.

"Em," Regina whispered, avoiding waking her if she'd already drifted off. Emma hummed. "How do you know Madison Cramer?"

Emma smiled, but it looked strained. "I was placed in her home. The woman who taught me how to make quiche, Candace, was her mother."

"The murder-suicide," Regina completed the thought.

Emma nodded, arm constricting ever so slightly, but Regina knew her, understood her little signals. "I'm sorry, Emma. It must be hard to see her again."

Emma hummed again and readjusted her cheek against Regina's head. "Not too bad. I'll always love Candace because she cared about me when no one else did, but I've let her go."

One green eye cracked and peered down at the dark brown gazing up at her. "Now I have you to cook for me. You make the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever had the pleasure of consuming. What's your secret?"

Regina chuckled darkly. "I told you once. Guess you'll just have to remember."

"Oh, that's…" Emma jerked up onto her elbow and stared down at her lover who simply moved her head to a pillow and closed her eyes serenely. "That's just evil."

"I'm reformed, not humorless." Regina tucked her face into Emma's shoulder. "Now shush, Darling. I'm attempting to follow my glow into the oblivion of sleep." The grin remained on her face as sleep tugged her under. It might have taken them a few first times, but they'd finally made love without jumping the gun and scrambling to keep up with their developing relationship.

Emma settled down and glared at a head of black hair when Regina reclaimed her chest as a pillow. A smile spread at the soft puffs of air across her breasts and brand new tattoo. Emma determined to get the secret out of Regina one way or another before she remembered. Her cheek found Regina's hair, soothing her into a drowsy state. Regina rooted further into her neck, hand squeezing her hip, and Emma suspected she'd awake in the same position in a few hours.

For once, she fell asleep beside her lover without the fear of waking alone.


	30. Time

So, this is the first half of the chapter. It got far too long, and I simply couldn't bring myself to cut it. So, the second half will be up later today, so YAY! Double post from Sin!

Enjoy, My Sweets!

Songs: Let's Go (Geronimo) by Audiogroove, Teenage Dream by Katy Perry

* * *

_**54 Days after Belle's Departure**_

"Regiiiiinaaaaaa," Emma sang. The woman half on top of her mumbled and turned her face from Emma's.

"Your majesty," she prodded again and scratched lightly over Regina's shoulder blades.

"I swear to God Emma if you're brain trauma has made you a morning person, I'm bashing you again with a club," the former royal threatened in a raspy growl.

Emma chuckled, vibrated the chest atop hers. "Fine, but if anyone asks, you wanted me to pee on you."

Regina grumbled and burrowed her face into the fleshy mound beneath her cheek. "D'n w'n." She mumbled into the perky boob against her mouth.

Emma laughed outright and then winced. "Seriously, Don Juan, I'm going to pee in the bed if you don't get up." She clenched her thighs and wiggled, exacerbating the situation.

"I'm going to slit your throat," Regina seethed as she slowly lifted her head and glared at her squirming lover.

Emma's eyebrows shot straight towards the headboard, not sure if the threat real or faked. "I've been waiting -" she glanced at the clock "- for over an hour for you to wake up." She smiled innocently at her grouchy partner, praying her cheeky grin melted the ice.

"I hope you get a bladder infection," Regina cursed and made a point of using her stomach for leverage as she rolled away and burrowed beneath the blanket. She hissed at the open curtain, displaying the first rays of dawn, and flung her hand towards it. The fabric slammed together, swaying with the inertia.

Emma grunted and tensed her stomach muscles, fighting the coming liquid as Regina settled. The second the extra weight rolled away, she sprang from the bed and bolted towards the bathroom before Regina zapped her in the ass with a energy ball. She flopped onto the toilet, thankful to be buck naked.

Her neck and breast throbbed deliciously from Regina's roughness last night, and both sent tendrils of arousal into her belly. With a wicked grin, she finished, washed herself thoroughly with soap and water, nose wrinkling with the thought of Regina going down after she used the bathroom. Her body responded to the self-stimulation, and Emma almost considered the lack of satisfaction of making love to Regina favorable to waking the violent morning person in the next room.

"Nah," she muttered to herself and returned to the bed. Regina growled when she jumped into it like a teenage girl and slid between the sheets.

Her front slid against Regina's back, and nipples hardening instantly. She prayed and pleaded and supplicated her soul to any higher power listening that Regina retracted her claws for morning sex. On the other hand… Emma shivered, remember those claws scraping her back and shoulders the previous night.

"Miss Swan, I will tear your heart out and eat it for breakfast," Regina resorted to cannibalism, hoping to dissuade any further disruption of her sleep.

Emma lifted black hair from that beautiful neck and dropped slow, wet kisses to the tantalizing flesh. She trailed the muscle connecting neck and shoulder with the same teasing pace, flicking her tongue before moving to the next spot. A hand ghosted Regina's beautifully feminine hip and followed with feathery fingertips down her smooth thigh.

Regina's back muscles tensed against her breasts, and Emma stifled a moan. Magic oozed towards her fingertips, and she pulled it back, locking it away. The thought of arousing Regina turned her on instantly, and she rolled with the feeling instead of questioning if she'd always felt that way.

Dull nails marked the trek back to her hip bone, and Regina shivered. Emma smiled. Morning sex killed Regina's killer impulses. Her hand followed the curve to the small belly Regina gained after carrying Annabel and massaged that wonderful scar.

Regina sighed. Emma nipped her shoulder. "Still want to eat my heart?"

"That depends on the next two minutes," Regina mumbled, most of the bite gone from her voice.

"And if I did this?" That lascivious hand cupped the mound beneath Regina's legs, holding tight pressure against the sensitive flesh. "Will it keep my throat safe?"

A sigh slipped out, and Regina's knee bent with her heel propped on the bed, offering Emma unfettered access. Emma licked and bit her shoulder, working her way back to that beautiful neck, while rubbing slow circles against Regina's clit with her heel.

"Emma," Regina breathed. Emma scooted slightly as Regina rolled onto her back and claimed those plump lips, completely enthralled by the woman who chose to love her.

A finger slid between Regina's folds, and Emma sighed at the wetness already forming there. She slipped two inside easily, and Regina arched out of the kiss, wide brown eyes staring up at her. She saw the mechanisms of her mind working behind those revealing eyes, comparing her to Older Emma.

"Don't do that," Emma pleaded. "I'm not her."

Slick fingers slid in and out of Regina at a hurried pace, and soft gasps and moans surrounded Emma, coaxing her from insecurity. Regina grabbed both cheeks and pulled her into a heated kiss as her hips met her thrust for thrust. Their lips parted, and Regina bumped their foreheads together, holding her in place.

"I know, Emma," Regina gasped. Slippery muscles grabbed at the pounding digits. "Harder."

Emma never questioned the command. She added a third finger and banged into the older woman with a violent thrust, part of her taking pleasure in the slight punishment for Regina's momentary mental slip. Regina's eyes flew open in surprise once more at the enthusiastic piston between her legs. Heat and soft moans rolled from the older woman, and Emma clamped her thighs together as her own wetness dripped and trickled.

One hand wrapped around Emma's neck as Regina's shoulders lifted from the bed, stomach muscles curling. Her mouth hung open in a silent scream. Emma pulled her knees beneath her and wrapped an arm around her back, holding half the weight. Teeth sunk into Regina's neck. Black hair swooped and swung when her head fell back, dizzy from the rough treatment.

"I want to hear you," Emma growled into her ear. She seemed everywhere at once, and Regina stilled as her orgasm crashed into her. Air came in bursts and spurts, breasts bobbing and jerking with the abrupt movements of her chest.

Emma paused and watched the incredible woman in her arms. Regina swallowed, and Emma dominated her lips in a sloppy passionate kiss. It broke as Emma tore free from the clenching walls around her fingers, pulling out to the tips only to slam to the hilt once more.

Regina whimpered. Emma thrust into her again, building a slow, painfully hard rhythm. Moans and sighs and whines surrounded her, taking her higher as her fingers pleasured her lover. Heat spread up her belly, and she straddled a toned thigh.

Fascinated brown eyes watched Emma rub sticky wetness onto her leg, rocking herself into oblivion beside her. The bed frame groaned and creaked beneath the enthusiastic thrusting of Emma's hand and hips.

"Emma," Regina breathed.

Determination sparked in bright green eyes, and Emma slowed her hand, added her pinky to the already stretching muscles and then pushed into her lover. "Let me hear you, Regina," she whispered, but the older woman recognized a command when she heard one.

One sharp thrust knocked Regina over the edge. She fell onto the bed with a cry. "Emma!"

"Again," Emma ordered and rubbed the tip of her middle finger against the ribbed nub inside, moving the four fingers in a tiny pumping pattern.

"Yes!" Regina exclaimed. "Oh my god," followed in a breathy whisper.

Emma began her forceful rocking, never losing touch with the pleasure spot she discovered the previous night. Regina's head tossed back and forth on the pillow, throaty moans and squeals growing in volume with each second. Black hair plastered to her flushed and sweaty face, a woman possessed.

"Emma," she moaned.

The tightening muscles almost thwarted Emma's movement. Liquid gushed onto her hand, another new experience. Her own stomach jerked in response, and she caught her body on her free hand as she lost her balance and fell towards Regina. She was pleased to find the new position offered more leverage from her arm to rock against that perfectly sized thigh.

"Emma!" Regina wailed and dug her heels in to move her body with her lover's hand.

Emma clenched again, wanted more. Her hand jerked, jabbing fingers into the sweet spot. A carnal growling grunt tore from Regina's throat. Emma tensed, gasping and pumping Regina through her own orgasm. Regina's hips jumped upwards for one final painful thrust before she came undone for the second time that morning.

"Emma!" She called, and the blonde grinned wickedly as she studied Regina's flushed cheeks and glistening neck.

With a hint of pride, she wiggled her fingers. Regina's rigid stomach muscles jerked up further. "Emma. God, Emma."

Emma responded to the supplication by pounding Regina through her climax. A hollow wail shocked the hell out of her as Regina's back arched, weight held by her head on the pillow and two white-knuckled fists in the sheet.

"Emma," she sighed when she collapsed onto the bed. She threw her arms above her head and giggled. Glazed brown eyes blinked up at her. "Good morning," she greeted and then covered her face with one hand when another giggle bubbled in the back of her throat.

Emma pulled her fingers free and sat on her knees between Regina's legs. "Morning," she returned and extended her lean body on top of Regina's to claim her mouth a reward for fantastic work.

She nearly made it to her lips but froze when the combined heat between their legs swelled her arousal once more. She dropped her forehead to Regina's chest, unable to stop the moan the new sensation elicited. "Oh my god," she whispered.

Regina smirked or what would have been a smirk if she could have closed her mouth without suffocating. Bracing her heels against the bed again, she rolled her hips upward, sliding across Emma's slick center. Emma gasped and immediately met the thrust with one of her own.

They lost contact, and teeth latched onto Regina's breast in retaliation. Regina responded by hooking her calves behind Emma's thighs and holding on for the ride. Emma slid around until that delicious friction and heat pulses in exactly the right place. Regina pinched and rolled her nipples, remaining still while Emma rubbed their wet, scorching cores together.

The head board banged the wall as Emma humped and rocked enthusiastically. Regina moaned and gasped, pressure building tighter and higher. Between Regina's soft sighs, the friction of her clit against Regina's and the curling of the muscles in her lower stomach, Emma reached climax in only a few seconds and dropped onto Regina's chest to recover. They panted together as the sweat cooled in the early morning chill.

Regina laughed suddenly, and Emma lifted her head to catch her gaze. "What's gotten into you, Darling?"

Emma groaned and dropped her head back to Regina's chest, "I think I have a new addiction." She tried to find shame in what they'd just done. It wasn't making love, not like the night before. She'd touched her roughly, caused her pain, and Regina loved every second of it, and Emma wanted more of this Regina.

Untamed, uncensored, unleashed - so unlike that reserved woman who wore pristine slacks and spoke in concise sentences. Now that she'd been discovered, Emma wanted this Regina, her Regina, the Regina that stuck the heel of her pump into a man's shoulder as punishment for kidnapping her. That Regina belonged to her and only her.

Emma rolled onto her side and caught her breath beside the magnificent creature who screamed her name only minutes ago. Her stomach protested the length of time without food combined with their aerobic activities. Regina chuckled

"Some things never change."

Emma grinned like a cheeky monkey. "Wanna go again?" Regina laughed, a deep throaty sound that reverberated down Emma's spine. She longed to bring that sound back as often as possible.

"Some things do," she muttered. "Perhaps after I've recovered. That was…" she waved a lazy hand and dropped it to the bed with a thump, "… pleasantly unexpected. I hadn't anticipated your finding that much confidence so quickly."

Emma kissed the shoulder near her mouth, grin spreading into a smile against the tacky skin that tasted of sweat salt. "I'm a quick study. Plus, I knew you held back last night." Emma settled her head against Regina's shoulder and hummed contentedly. A traitorous hand slid over Regina's soft stomach and traced tickling designs over her ribs.

"So, that's it then?" Regina asked, a serious undertone to the words. "No drawn out discussions or campfire pow wows to analyze to death this new development in our relationship?"

Emma's forehead bunched as she lifted it, creating those three lifelines that Regina adored so very much - Emma's thinking face. "What is there to discuss? We love each other. We have fantastic sex that we both seem to enjoy very much. End of story. Is this an Older Emma thing?"

Regina nodded, realizing that the thought of losing Emma's touch didn't ache for the first time that morning. She felt free of that burden and blinked away the resulting tears. "You used to be much gentler, afraid that I'm a doll that might break if pushed too hard. It took two years to reach what we've achieved overnight."

Emma propped her chin on her wrist and chewed her lower lip as she considered those words. "Do you want me to be gentle? I can do that," Emma reassured her, not wanting Regina to lose the emotional connection that came with the physical pleasure.

"When you want to be," she replied with a shy smile and tucked tangled blonde hair behind Emma's ear. "As I said, I enjoy everything you do to me."

Her stomach roared at them again, and Emma wrinkled her nose. "Cool. Just let me know if I'm doing it wrong." She rolled away and disappeared into the bathroom.

Regina's eyes tracked her and then stared at the door until she emerged, following her around the room as she dressed. Emma caught the stare as she pulled the white tank top over her head. She squinted quizzically and then strode to the bathroom once more. When she appeared again, those ridiculous glasses wrapped around her face.

"Couldn't see you," she pointed to her face before plopping onto the bed to slip into her riding boots. She twisted, sighing into the snapping of vertebrae realigning, and met Regina's stare. "Coming?"

"I'll be down in a moment. I require a few more moments of recovery time," she admitted without a trace of shame. Her body felt rubbery from the endorphins and spent adrenaline slowly leaving her system, and feared falling on her face if she attempted to stand in that moment.

Emma leaned across the bed and kissed her slowly. A smile tugged on her lips when she pulled back and pushed out of the bed. "I'll make sure there's coffee and ask Snow to start breakfast if she's up. I need to get to the hospital to relieve the guard wolf from Katy watch."

She disappeared into the closet as she spoke, presumably in search of a jacket to warm her body shivering from sweat. "Hey, is this mine? It's all scratched up and so not your style."

When she appeared at the door, Regina groaned loudly. Emma's brow furrowed, smirk spreading as she realized the garment annoyed her lover. "I'll take that as a yes," she rubbed in and shrugged into the dark red leather jacket she'd found hidden in the back of the closet.

"I should have thrown it away while you were unconscious," Regina groused and then clicked her tongue in disgust. Belle must have returned the monstrosity to their closet after tearing it up defending Storybrooke.

"Cool," Emma piped and ran her hands over the smooth material with scuffs here and there. "See ya downstairs." She bolted for the door, narrowly escaping the pillow flung at her laissez-faire attitude towards the despicable garment.

When she reached the kitchen, Snow poured a mug of coffee for her and set it on the island far too gently. She cleared her throat, blushed, retreated to the small breakfast table. Emma smirked. Her mother heard them. Mother. Emma winced.

"Hey Mary Margaret," she chirped, choosing to ignore the topic completely.

"Morning Emma," she clipped. The tips of her ears burned red, and Emma touched her own, immediately recognizing the familiar blush. Her ears burned when she got embarrassed.

"Sorry if we were loud," she apologized halfheartedly with a shrug to match before levering herself onto the island.

Snow sighed and touched her short hair anxiously. "Are you happy?"

Emma shrugged. "In general? It's sort of hard to be given the situation," she answered honestly. "With Regina? Extremely." A goofy grin pushed at her cheeks, and she ducked her head shyly, surprising herself with the raw honesty beneath the words.

Snow smiled at her daughter. "Then it's none of my business what you do with your wife." Her face blanched at the purple marks on either side of Emma's neck and hid behind the warm mug in her hands.

Emma gulped the hot, black coffee, wincing at the scalding bitterness. "I gotta scoot. Will you start breakfast? Regina should be down soon." She bolted from the kitchen and awkward conversation, stopped abruptly in the foyer and did a 180.

"Almost forgot," she explained at Snow's expectant look. "Katy wanted a sandwich." Quickly, she scrambled for the ingredients and slapped together two peanut butter and nutella sandwiches, shoving them carelessly into plastic baggies.

"Don't forget, Emma," Regina spoke as she breezed into the kitchen in impossibly high light blue heels and a form-hugging blue dress with black sleeves that ended an inch off her shoulder. How had she dressed and fixed her hair so quickly? Magic, Emma decided with a smirk.

Snagging Emma's abandoned mug as she spoke, she refilled it with steaming go-go juice. "I have Council this morning and later this evening, and Ruby is off duty tonight to prepare for the reopening of the diner tomorrow. You'll be sleeping in Katy's room, preferably in front of the door to prevent any from opening it."

Emma listened intently to the instructions, knowing her brain dismissed details if they seemed unimportant. Regina searched her eyes, seeing the uneasiness.

"Would you prefer I write it down?" Regina asked, moving before Emma responded. Regina never made her feel stupid or like a burden. She simply did what was required as though making schedules on notepad paper or receipts or in a pinch a pamphlet from the hospital was something they'd always done.

She snagged the grocery list pad from the refrigerator door and jotted as she spoke. "Snow and I will be in meetings from nine to noon. I'll visit with you and Katy if she allows it from 12:30 to four. Council resumes at 6:30 to rebut and vote on issues discussed this morning."

"Are you bringing lunch with you?" Emma asked, thinking ahead to the amount of maneuvering required in order to feed herself while keeping Katy in sight.

"Granny has promised a fantastic lunch from her brand new grill. She and Bethany will be preparing for tomorrow, so I'll ask her or Beth to swing by with dinner also," Regina allayed as many worries as possible, already having planned the day perfectly.

"Ruby will sleep at Granny's tonight with Alex. Eva, David, and Amelia will remain here with Henry and Annabel tonight. I doubt we'll finish before midnight as we rarely do." She tapped the pen against her chin and glanced up at Emma's bright green eyes, shimmering with appreciation.

"Do you wish me to add any other details?" Emma shook her head and folded the paper carefully before sliding it into her back pocket.

Regina smiled and kissed her chastely. "I'll text you tonight once I've finished sorting the squabbling and miserliness."

"M'kay," Emma hummed and stole another kiss. "Love you."

Regina smiled brightly, vein popping in a split second as those words sent her heart into a pounding jolt. "I love you, too, Darling." She wiped a smudge of red lipstick from Emma's mouth.

Emma grabbed the sandwiches and nearly made it to the door before Regina stopped her. "Em, didn't Katy ask for Alex this morning?"

"Damn it!" Emma cursed and stomped towards the living room where the toddler played with Annabel and Eva.

Regina wanted to smile at the dramatic reaction, but the very real issue of Emma's damaged short term memory prevented even a tug of the gesture. She sighed instead and met Snow's curious gaze. It shared her pain and questions, but neither voiced them as Regina joined her at the table with her coffee. They sipped in silence and wallowed in ponderings for which no one seemed able to provide the answers.

Time might not heal this.


	31. Waiting

Enjoy!

Songs: Mz. Hyde by Halestorm, Get Well by Icon for Hire

* * *

Emma tossed the phone in her lap and scrubbed weary hands over her face. Katy watched her adoptive mother curiously. Thus far, no one placed explicit blame upon her shoulders even thought hey all knew what she'd done. She suspected they feared her attempting suicide again. They should have let her die.

"Was that Regina?" She asked and pulled her knees to her chest protectively. She failed Regina, failed the queen, failed Aunt Marion.

"Yeah, Council just let out. It's after midnight, must have been hell," Emma responded and wiggled further into the reclining chair she'd dragged into the room a few hours ago.

"They want to punish me, don't they?" She asked, but her tone suggested a statement more than a question. Her intelligence surpassed most adults Emma knew. She was strong, resilient, tougher than nails and sassier than Regina most days, and yet she'd fallen into this trap. They failed to give her what she needed, and she paid the price with her innocence.

"Regina won't let that happen," Emma boasted without a shred of doubt. She shoved aside her own thoughts and the bitterness of betrayal. She loved Katy. She'd trusted her, bonded with her quickly. Too torn up emotionally, she dealt with those feelings by ignoring them for the moment. When they averted critical crisis levels, she intended to have a nice long talk with the teenager.

"Is that why you won't let her see you?" No response. "She sits outside that door for hours, Katy. So does Ruby. We're trying to help you if you'll let us."

Katy shrank into a smaller ball and hid her face between her knees. "Why doesn't she hate me?"

Emma studied the heartbroken teen across the room, brow furrowing with her own grief and anger. "Katy, you made a mistake. You were manipulated into a situation that you didn't want to be in. If you'd told us when you realized what was happening, we could have avoided a lot of shit, but it's done now. We're just trying to cope and help you cope so that you never have to go through this again." Katy knew the day of her accident. She'd possibly rigged her car with that potion that exploded when she crossed the line. Emma gritted her teeth and focused on the girl.

"Why? Why keep me after what I did?" Hazel eyes raised to meet a shimmering angry green.

"Because you're family, Katy. You screwed up, yes, on a major scale and are still screwing up by keeping this man's identity a secret. Now that you've decided to come clean, everyone he hurts is on your hands." Emma clenched her fingers into a fist and tapped it on the arm of the chair. Katy ducked her head and cried softly.

"I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, Katy. I really am, but it's the truth. I hope you can live with yourself when the dust settles because right now, despite the fact that we have not left your side for one second since you arrived here four days ago, you still choose him." Emma covered her face with one hand and breathed deeply. Accusing Katy was like accusing herself for almost being kidnapped. The girl had clearly been abused, mentally and physically, possibly raped.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Her body propelled from the chair and crossed the room in two strides. She wrapped her arms around her daughter's back and knees, hiding her from the world in her chest.

"Katy, I'm sorry. I know none of this is your fault. I'm just scared and tired and frustrated because I don't know how to help you or keep you safe if you won't tell me who's hurting you," Emma explained her callous words.

"I'm sorry, Emma. I can't," Katy sobbed, fingers clutching her tank top and holding her close.

"I know," Emma soothed. Not yet, Emma amended silently. Katy broke free of him a little more everyday, and she intended to tear down her defenses as quickly as possible to end this madness.

"Come here," she whispered and settled onto the bed. Katy curled into her side and leaned her head on her chest. "I'm not going to let him hurt you anymore, okay?"

Katy nodded and grasped at her waist like a lifeline. Emma supposed in a way she was her lifeline. Nothing but time offered allegiance to the cause of fixing Katy, and Emma resigned herself to the long wait.

* * *

By the time Council ended the second time, Regina's head pounded furiously. Her daughter adamantly refused to see her once again. Council meetings became far more difficult, Ruby far more depressed, Emma's short term memory retention or lack there of far more disconcerting and her far less patient with the entire three ring circus that represented her life.

She propped both elbows on Stacy's desk and dropped her head into her hands. To top off her day, a pile of new paperwork awaited her. A sigh deflated her chest, pulling her shoulders with it. Resigning herself to the inevitable, she jerked open the drawer that held the Excedrin Stacy kept on hand for her and swallowed two. With Emma at the hospital all night, she saw no better reason to stay behind and finish the work while she had the time.

"Regina, you okay?" Stacy asked from the door.

"Just a headache. Was there something else you wished to discuss?" She knew how defeated she sounded but failed to find the strength to care.

"No. Someone left this on my windshield. Your name is on it," Stacy explained and handed the yellow envelope to Regina. "I guess they figured you'd get it when you left instead of interrupting Council proceedings."

"Thank you, Stacy. I'm finishing this paperwork before I go home, so you can lock the doors if you'd like. I'll poof." Regina eyed the package suspiciously, words lacking focus or conviction.

"If you're sure," the mayor nodded and clicked hastily out of the room. She felt the exhaustion of the meetings as much as everyone else; it ironed the perky right out of her.

Once locked away in the office she'd governed for 28 years, Regina ripped open the envelope. A plain silver disc with no markings other than the company logo slid into her hand. A smile spread on her face as she opened the CD drive on Stacy's laptop. Emma had threatened for weeks now to broaden her music horizons. Ruby must have dropped it off since Emma refused to leave the hospital during the day.

She selected the play option when the little box opened on the screen, checked her phone for Emma's returning text. Finding none, her eyes to the first paper in the stack. Emma probably passed out and snored by this time of night.

_"Katy, just let me go. Leave the syringe and release my hands. I'll do everything else."_

Regina's eyes jerked towards the screen. Katy screamed when a man grabbed her hair and pulled her to the middle of the room before smacking her head off the floor. Regina jumped with a gasp and covered her mouth. She watched in horror as he injected the syringe into her arm and then removed her pants.

She slapped the space bar, stopping the video, and grabbed her chest. Her heart trumpeted the cadet waking call, and she braced her arm on the edge of the desk, pressed her forehead there. Shaking breaths pushed through her lips, vibrating them above a quivering chin. Saliva flooded her mouth, a warning sign of acid creeping up her throat.

"Okay," she murmured, latching onto Emma's catchphrase for dealing with fantastical information. She swallowed before she drooled on the floor and then again to push the bile down further.

No back up waited for her, no cavalry came running this time. Everyone stood at their posts, stalwart and strong. She felt safe enough in this building with security cameras everywhere and her magic brewing just beneath the surface. He mentally tortured her, the only one of them he had no real opening to tear down without killing someone she loved. He nearly took Katy, she reminded herself.

And Granny. And Emma. And the mob probably would have killed Belle. This was about her. He broke her apart piece by piece, weakened her unit. She gathered her resolve with a final breath and steeled her nerves. Ignoring the blatant rape of her daughter happening at the bottom of the screen, Regina studied the room.

His face had been blurred anyway, no point causing herself more pain unless she failed to notice the environment. Lauren looked fine aside from the bloody gauze on her hand. The video was old. How many days had Lauren been missing now? She rubbed her eyes with a thumb and forefinger and brushed away all other thoughts.

Another deep breath directed her eyes back to the screen. The walls were cement, solid, blank, yet familiar. A single light hung in the middle of the ceiling covered by old wire to protect the bulb. She squinted at the back wall. Frustration grew. She knew this place. Moving closer to the screen, tiny scratch marks on the wall behind Lauren came into focus.

Regina pulled back abruptly. Belle's cell in the asylum. She'd kept track of the days on the wall. Regina grabbed her cell phone, almost called Emma, placed the phone on the desk with a trembling hand. Everyone else protected their children. If she called one of them away, she gave this psycho free pass to whomever she beckoned from their defensive positions.

The Queen rose with her protective instinct. Trap or not, she'd not risk her children to call for backup if Lauren even remained in the room. Perhaps she wasn't meant to recognize the place. Then why had he given her the video, knowing her eyes and Belle's the only ones to see inside that cell? Was he telling her that he'd taken Belle captive, too?

Decision made, she grabbed her phone and poofed to the asylum beneath the hospital just outside Belle's prison for 28 years. Fire at the ready, she glanced around quickly. Her heart pounded so loudly, she knew anyone lying in wait heard it before they ever saw her fireball. With a steadying breath, she pushed the heavy metal door open without entering.

Low, shaking breaths echoed, and Regina squinted into the darkness, controlling her own urge to pant. The safety lights in the hall offered the room miniscule illumination. Fire flew from her fingers, creating swirling balls of light within the room. A quick glance told her no one stood behind the door. Lauren sat in the corner, gag in her mouth, eyes wide with fear.

"MMMM!" Lauren yelled around the gag and shook her head. Regina spun, seeing no one.

"Lauren, it's okay. It's me Regina," the witch soothed and rushed forward. She hit the edge of a barrier and bounced back as though she'd walked into a wall.

"No," she whispered and whirled, extending her arms. The magic barrier formed a circle around five feet in diameter and enclosed at the top like a dome. Icy fear slid up her spine.

An amused chuckle echoed from the shadows. "Did you know that Amelia created a potion that simulates a cloaking spell?" Of course she did. Amelia was brilliant. "Inactivated as with many of her potions, but you people make it so easy to obtain a few drops of magical blood."

"Oh," he said and stepped from the shadows, materializing around the cloaking barrier. "She also made that little number to trap The Evil Queen if she ever came back." His finger waggled at the shimmering barrier surrounding her. His tone implicated he believed Regina incapable of becoming such a monster again. His smile stretched too comfortably, his body far too relaxed. It wasn't quite arrogance, but confidence exuded in waves.

Regina fumbled with her phone. She hit the last number called which was Emma, but the call refused to go through. She tried again. Panic swelling in her chest, pumping adrenaline into already shaking fingers. He laughed. She growled in frustration. He reached through the barrier and snagged the device.

"No service down here. You designed it that way, right? Or was that just a twist of fateful luck for me?" He taunted her, but she diligently held her ground.

"Ben, why have you done this?" She demanded, a sliver of fear in her voice. She clamped it down with anger. 13 days. Lauren had been missing for 13 days.

He held a finger to his mouth in a shushing motion. "I can't tell you that until the rest of the family gets here."

White hot rage poured into Regina's veins, and a fireball appeared in her hand. He clicked his tongue. "Wouldn't do that." He traced the barrier, enraging her further. "See, little Amelia is quite the brilliant potions master. She bound that potion with your hair and your blood. It's designed specifically for you and your magic, which means I can come in, but you can't come out, and neither can your magic."

Regina slapped both hands on the barrier circle, ignoring the singe on her palms. "Damn it, Ben! If you want me, then come after me, you coward! Leave my family alone." Regina stared at the man, watched him moved around the room.

With a small first aid kit in hand, he sat next to Lauren. She flinched at the soft touch of his knuckles on her cheek. Her arms quivered in the restraints, pulling against them in vain. Regina studied her face, discerning whether she attempted to break free or the reaction involuntary to his touch. Perhaps a bit of both.

"What did I do to you? Kill your parents, your family? Is that why you've attempted to kill mine?" She distracted him from the nurse who'd endured enough in the past two weeks. Lauren met her eyes gratefully when he dropped his hand and faced Regina.

He smiled but no warmth filled it. He had no soul, and they'd all missed his evil. No one noticed him because they'd never really looked at him before with the exception of Lauren, Eva, and Amelia. He targeted them first, knocked them off their game so they'd overlook him. Regina glared, despite her pounding heart. Katy granted him permission to see her still. He laughed at her.

"You can give me that death stare all you'd like, Your Majesty, but you're not that person anymore. You don't scare anyone anymore. You're all washed up." He turned his back to her and unwrapped Lauren's hand. She sighed in relief that it'd been cared for and then straightened her spine immediately. He was right.

"Break this circle and allow me to show you exactly what I am capable of," Regina threatened, fingers curling into tight fists, voice low and dangerous.

She bristled at his condescending giggle that reminded her so much of Rumpelstiltskin's. "What are you going to do, Highness? Stick your shoe in my shoulder and put me in jail?"

Regina calmed, the world melting away. Emma gave her the guidance to get through this moment. She was The Evil Queen, that woman remained inside whether she had play dates or not. Her eyes slipped shut. Anger and hatred flared in her heart. She thought of Emma's accident and Belle's poignant absence and Ruby's sad eyes and a frail Granny near death in a hospital bed and Katy's terrified scream on the video he'd sent her.

When her eyes lifted to his, bright purple glowed where light brown usually resided. "First I'm going to immobilize you," Regina informed him, running a finger along the barrier to create shimmering designs.

A sensuous grin tugged on her lips. She could be this person if her family needed this person. "When your eyes water with fear, I will magically emulate every single ache and pain you caused my family." His jaw clenched, jumping angrily. The grin turned into a smirk as she wriggled beneath his skin.

Fingers trailed down the barrier, sparking and crackling as the two opposing magics clashed. "I will beat you. I will torture and kill everything you love in front of you as you watch, helpless to stop it. And when you can no longer bear to live, I'll burn the flesh from your body, one layer at a time."

An innocent smile lit her face, violet in her eyes. He froze, a momentary halting of movements as she caught him off guard. It flashed and passed within a second, but the seed of doubt implanted in his brain. The Evil Queen still inspired quite a bit of fear, the legend if not the woman herself.

"I'm not stupid enough to take you on by myself. That's why you're in that circle, and I'm out here. You're going to die anyway, so why fight it?" He shot for nonchalant, but the sliver of fear slightly shook his words. He finished with Lauren's hand and then stood with his arms crossed just on the other side of the barrier. Bluffing, Regina observed.

She lit a fireball and slammed it into her side of the force field too fast for reaction. Had the barrier not contained her, he'd have been toasted. He jumped, backing a few steps involuntarily. Regina stepped into the center of the circle, away from his reach. With one thin finger crooked, she beckoned him to join her inside the circle. He glared, clearly flustered by her lack of fear and slammed the door after his exit.

The lights flipped off, leaving them in total blackness. Lauren whimpered, and Regina lit a fireball in her hand. "I can keep one until you fall asleep… if you can sleep."

She kicked off the blue heels she'd borrowed from Belle and sat on the floor, leaning against the barrier for support. With a flick of her wrist, the fireball floated into the air and hovered at the top of the magical dome. Lauren rattled her restraints, and Regina met her shimmering eyes in the dim light of the fire.

"Ank ooo," Lauren said around her gag.

"You're welcome," Regina replied and thumped her head against the barrier. "I'd try to break it, but I know it's impossible. I taught Amelia the potion for containing magic wielders who lost control. She probably added a few ingredients of her own for strength."

Regina babbled, unsure why she felt the need. "Eva's as well as can be expected when one's True Love is kidnapped. She's proclaimed herself my nanny." Lauren snorted, amused by her lover. The strong, resilient succubus was in there, and Regina felt the band of tension and fear loosen slightly.

She realized in that moment why she spoke. Lauren slept and ate and cowered in fear in this room everyday for the past two weeks. The energy of her terror permeated the thick, musty air, infecting her with fear that never belonged to her. Regina sighed dramatically and wiggled until her body found another comfortable position on the cold floor. She hated waiting.

"Succubus, you need to calm down. I'll be of no use to anyone if I die from terror," Regina muttered sardonically. Lauren took a few deep breaths, slowing her racing heart.

"I won't be missed until morning. Any trace of my whereabouts will have been erased by then," she realized and fear gripped her heart. She should have divulged her hunch to someone, but Ruby and Emma were naïve enough to come running to her aid, leaving their weakest members unguarded.

A sharp laugh echoed off the cold walls. "He's attended all of us."

She met Lauren's haunted hazel eyes. "He was your best friend." Lauren nodded. Tears she wasn't able to wipe leaked from her eyes. A wash of grief filled Regina. Lauren's powers ran rampant without her usual control.

"He raped Katy," Regina said wanly. Lauren nodded with a whimper, having watched it at least once that she knew of.

"I'm going to kill him. Council be damned," Regina vowed in a low growling rasp.

She seethed quietly. Rage ebbed and flow, burned and chilled. A thousand prickling needles itched beneath her skin, tearing the flesh from the inside out in its quest for release, a target. Her eyes focused on the door, refusing to be caught off guard. Her mind calmed and reached for memories of her former self. A flood of power rushed to her fingertips, tingling, aching, ready.

Regina waited.


	32. Home

Thank you for the reviews, My Doves. And yes, we may or may not see a return of The Evil Queen. I am so very happy to be FINALLY putting up this chapter. It's been written for weeks, and I have been drooling over it since then.

Enjoy Lovelies!

Songs: Stand in Awe by Dala, Your Call by Secondhand Serenade

* * *

_**55 Days After Belle's Departure**_

Ruby rubbed Alex's tiny hiccupping back and fought with the front door of the mansion. She kicked it closed behind her, pulling a half-dazed Amelia from the living room in a dark blue camisole and baggy cotton sleep pants. Her face fell at the pathetic whimpering on the wolf's shoulder and reached for the toddler. Ruby relinquished her daughter gratefully and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Mia, I want Mama," Alex demanded and wrapped her tiny arms around Amelia's neck. Tiny sobs vibrated into her shoulder, and the surgeon rubbed a soothing hand over the girl's back. Alex struggled with waking in the morning and sleeping at night without Belle, but the in between time had become bearable with only minor tantrums and breakdowns.

"There's coffee. I couldn't sleep," Amelia whispered to the wolf who had finally stopped glaring every time they entered the same room.

In the absence of Belle and Regina's hyper focus on Emma, they reached a truce and tenuous budding of friendship. Mostly, they ensured the other never had to be alone during sleepless nights, but it affected Ruby enough to lay aside her differences and stop judging the other woman for her decisions. She was a good person and a loyal friend, and really, that's all that mattered to Ruby at the time.

"Thanks," Ruby muttered and brushed past her to the kitchen.

"When did you get up?" Ruby asked as she crossed to the freezer and snagged an ice cube to slip into her coffee to speed the rate of consumption.

"Around three, I think, a couple hours ago," Amelia answered and settled at the table with the sleepy toddler. "I didn't even hear Regina come in. Council must have been hell last night if she stayed that late. I didn't pass out until after midnight."

Ruby hummed around the mug against her lip and swallowed another gulp. "They're trying to slap a treason charge on Katy for her part in this clusterfuck. They're making the case that the perpetrator can't be punished if the accomplices haven't been."

"Make an example for any with similar ideas," Amelia summed.

"Basically." Ruby nodded and refilled her cup, repeating the process with the ice cube. "A part of me wants to let them," Ruby admitted quietly, her voice wet and strained with tears.

"Me too," Amelia agreed, meeting Ruby's haunted eyes. "I think that's a normal reaction. You practically adopted her, too, and she attacked all of us. I know he messed her up, but…" She shrugged and held Alex tighter against her chest, dropping a kiss to her tangled blonde hair. The girl nuzzled into her chest, finding more comfort in the slightly larger breasts closer to Belle's size than Ruby's, and closed her eyes again.

"It's a miracle one of us hasn't been killed yet," she continued, eyes staring at the cabinets below the island, distant and emotionless. "Probably would have been if we hadn't stuck so close to one another."

Ruby scrubbed a frustrated hand on her face. "I wish Be…" she glanced at Alex who seemed to have simmered down for the moment. Amelia refocused her eyes to Ruby's and nodded; she understood.

"I wish she was here," she amended. "She has the most forgiving heart I've ever seen. She'd know what to do. I'm lost." A sharp inhalation followed that brutally honest statement. "I've been lost since Cora messed me up. I was finally finding my way to who I wanted to be. I was almost there, and then this shit…"

She slammed the cup in the sink and braced herself on the lip of the counter. "Katy took a lot more than Emma's memory. She knew the exact button to push to make me lose control. I don't even know how she found Jack. Or Neal. Or Jason. She's been playing us the entire time she's been here."

Ruby pushed away with disgust and bolted from the room faster than Amelia could respond to the outpouring of grief and betrayal. They all felt the sting of Katy's actions, but Ruby had been torn open and left exposed and raw. She'd nearly lost everything dear to her, everything and everyone except Regina and Alex. Thus far, the attacks remained blissfully distant from the children, and with Regina's new honesty and honor policy, she'd saved herself direct attacks by becoming practically invincible.

The walk back to town passed quickly, and the note in her pocket felt heavier that day. She pulled out the worn page sporting tiny holes in the creases and read Belle's final words before she left town for the millionth time. _I hope you understand why I can't stay._

"I still don't understand. You've never run from anything," Ruby confessed to the letter and leaned against the doors of the library. It was the truth. Belle never ran. Belle was strong and resilient and literally a genius, and as they all discovered, she'd become the adhesive that held them all together with her facts and quirks and theories and quiet strength and forgiveness. She made them all better.

Before the grief consumed her, the wolf pushed off the door and entered the library. It was quiet and lifeless. It'd been closed since the day those posters appeared all over Main Street. It hadn't seen Belle's loving hand in two months, since she shoved her heart in Ruby's chest and left town, perhaps for good.

Ruby rolled her sleeves as she crossed the empty library to the small supply closet just before Belle's office. Her hand froze on the door, and she stared longingly at the closed office door. With a shaking breath, she took two steps and touched the knob with one finger, her other hand flat against the old wood at head height.

Eyes shut tightly, Ruby turned the knob and let the door swing open without stepping into the room. Her chin quivered as the familiar scents washed over her, but she didn't fight the tears, not this time. At least pain was an emotion. It was better than the aching emptiness despite carrying two hearts in her chest.

Finding enough courage to open her eyes, she reached around the corner and flipped the light switch. Everything looked exactly as it did when Belle was here, except dustier. She stepped into the office, vision blurring with tears. Brown eyes blinked rapidly, directing the liquid to her cheeks, as she entered with slow, watery steps.

Belle's personal library of magical tomes and diaries and ancient records and annals surrounded her. A finger trailed along the cracked or missing spines, seeing old dusty books written in languages she couldn't read. Belle saw magic, not the kind to be wielded physically but the magic of knowledge. The power of knowing. She sniffed and allowed the hot, salty liquid to drip off her jaws without wiping them.

Archie said once that wiping tears was a sign of letting go, of healing. Ruby just hurt. Tears fell freely.

A jacket hung over the back of the chair, and Ruby touched it reverently. Belle wore it the day Bethany walked back into her life. That day seemed so far away now. Shaking fingers grasped the collar, pulled it from the chair and shook the dust from it. Ruby cradled it in both hands like a precious, priceless artifact from a forgotten land.

Slowly, she pressed her nose to the inside of the fabric. Belle had faded, but she remained still. Ruby pressed her entire face into the jacket and cried. Tiny whimpers and harsh hiccups filled the otherwise silent space.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to the black fabric in her hands. Fresh tears filled her eyes, and the sobbing continued. The pain of losing Peter, even coupled with the guilt of murdering him and the discovery of her wolf, never felt like this.

"I'm lost, Belle." This felt deeper. Not even Belle's heart in her chest, which generally made her feel closer to the other woman, eased the emptiness. "I'm lost," she sobbed.

When the tears subsided, Ruby carried the jacket to the circulation desk and set it down gently. Her face itched from the tears drying on her cheeks, but her hands stayed diligently at her sides as she returned to the supply closet. She refused to wipe her tears. She refused to let go. Belle was coming home. One day.

One day, she'd hold her beloved librarian again.

She dusted Belle's magic books, wiped down shelves and her desk. She paused when a picture in a silver frame caught her eyes. A thumb brushed the thick dust away as she brought it closer to her face. It was a candid shot of her and Alex. Ruby hadn't realized Belle even took this picture. She and Alex sat on the couch, guitar on her knees with Alex squashed between the instrument and her Wolf's chest. Ruby leaned to the side, brown and red hair falling over the strings. Alex held a pick and poked at the wires. Bright smiles graced both mother and child.

Ruby closed her eyes and fought the urge to fling the picture across the room. How had things gone so wrong so fast?

She wiped the dust from the picture, swept and mopped the floor, and closed the door behind her. She repeated the process with every inch of the library as she did every Saturday morning before her shift at the diner, or rebuilding the diner, whichever the case turned out to be. Satisfied that the cleanliness would have pleased her absent lover, Ruby moved to the loft.

She repeated the process once more, changed the sheets on the bed, vacuumed the curtains and corners for spider webs. For the last task, she removed the fresh fruits and vegetables from the refrigerator and countertop that she'd brought the previous week, tossed them in the trash, and replaced them with fresh ones. The meat was safely frozen. She wanted Belle to have the supplies to make a meal the day she returned.

With one last look around, she slid a fresh bag into the trashcan, retrieved the dirty one and sheets that hadn't been slept in for almost two months, and left the loft. When she reached the circulation desk, she shucked her light blue work shirt, leaving nothing but her black camisole beneath, and slipped into Belle's jacket.

It was too short but large enough to fit her comfortably. Belle's frame had always been wider, not to mention Ruby's ant hill breasts compared to her mountains. She wrapped herself tightly in the soft fabric and closed her eyes against the fresh tears threatening to fall.

An alarm sounded on her phone, and she dug it from her pocket, shutting it off. Her shift at the diner started in ten minutes, her first shift of the first day the diner reopened. She decided to run the old menu during the day and then release the new one that night at the grand reopening celebration. The cost of the free food felt worth it when she considered how many folks she'd draw back to the establishment after warning them away from her family.

She glanced around once more before picking up the trash bag and sheets and locking the doors. As she exited, Ruby's gaze fell to the woman across the street. As she had for many weeks, Bethany stood across the street and waited for her to exit the library. Belle's little sister wrapped her arms protectively around herself, held Ruby's gaze for an extended moment, and then strode away quickly, wiping discreetly at her tears. She'd offered to help her clean it every Saturday morning, but Ruby insisted she needed the time to herself to honor Belle.

She never ventured inside after that, but she always came.

Ruby watched her until she was a dot in the distance and then crossed the street, disposed of the bag in the dumpster out back, and tossed the sheets into the washing machine in the back of the diner.

Granny nodded with pained eyes and watched her granddaughter wash her hands before wordlessly donning her apron. Ruby disappeared into the dining room without so much as a glance to the elder Lucas. They'd spoken very little outside their lessons since the day Jack surfaced. Not so much because Ruby was angry anymore, the young wolf simply hadn't the energy.

She kept a protective eye on Alex and Annabel during the morning until Regina came home from the hospital for lunch. Snow and David accompanied Henry to and from school everyday, so that took a small bit off her huge plate. She slept as much as possible during the afternoon in between tea parties with Alex. Regina distracted the girl as much as possible, but she loved her Mama Wolf too much to let her sleep for long. Ruby never minded.

At night, she worked on her wolf. She blew through the meditative techniques Granny taught her and exercised them regularly throughout the day. She listened when her grandmother spoke. Granny knew best. She always had. When she'd deemed herself adequately schooled, she ended the lesson and began her nightly ritual of watching over Katy and obsessing over Belle.

She slept on the couch in the living room, relinquishing the room she'd shared with the missing librarian to Eva or Amelia, whichever decided to sleep over that night, usually both. Rarely, Granny or Regina caught her pause and touch her chest or grab her pendant for comfort when she thought no one looked in her direction. Ruby had surpassed depressed weeks ago and remained firmly in the realm of broken.

The door jingled, and Ruby almost growled at the sound that once brought so much joy but now only reminded her that she hadn't died of a broken heart yet. The world kept turning without Belle, but her heart stayed put, firmly rooted in a life she refused to let go. She gripped the edge of the counter in front of the coffee pots and leaned heavily, hip cocked. A deep breath, and another, she took one more.

"Be right with you," a haggard, worn, raspy voice said, and she started when she recognized it as her own.

"Take your time," an accented voice returned, directly across the counter behind her.

Ruby straightened slowly, eyes drifting open. Had she lost her mind?

"Belle?" She turned quickly.

Sad blue eyes met hers and misted instantly. The hair, the accent, the eyes - Bethany reminded her so much of Belle. Ruby bowed her head, jaw clenched against the tears threatening to fall.

"I'm sorry, Ruby," Bethany whispered. Her voice strained with emotion, and she sniffed, any sense of regal propriety forgotten as she shared an emotional moment with her sister's soul mate.

"I'm sorry I didn't support your relationship. You're…" Bethany dropped her gaze to her wringing hands, "what every girl dreams of."

"Clearly every girl dreams of being sexually assaulted by her lover," Ruby seethed bitterly and resumed her stance of staring at the coffee dripping into the pot. She hadn't believed it possible to hate herself more than when she discovered that she'd killed her first True Love. She was wrong.

"Have you set a date for your surgery?" Ruby changed the subject abruptly.

Bethany nodded, "Yes, the first week of June. I have developed another infection, but Dr. Montgomery assures me that once it clears, we'll move forward." A hopeful smile dared to grace the girl's lips. "A perfect birthday present. June fourth is my birthday, so I finally calculated in this world's calendar. I'm sure Belle has that information stored in her mind, but I muddled through."

Ruby nodded and sucked a deep breath. "I'll be there," she vowed and touched Bethany's hands ripping at a napkin. Blue eyes raised to hers, and Ruby squeezed her hands. "Beth, I'll be there."

"Thank you." Bethany smiled gratefully and dipped her head shyly. Ruby may have been peasant rabble, but she held far more loyalty and honor than any nobleman or royal she'd ever encountered. Belle was a lucky woman.

Ruby pushed off the counter wordlessly when Granny called her name from the window. The bell jingled again, and Ruby's shoulders fell. Granny touched her hand supportively as she picked up her food. Ruby's brow furrowed, moving her entire hairline, but she remained silent.

Plates hit the floor. A hush settled upon the usually boisterous crowd except Leroy who grumbled as his burger lay in a mangled heap of glass and bun. Astrid shushed him and wiped her watery eyes as she glanced between Ruby and the new arrival.

The hair was longer and blonde. Bright green shone where baby blue used to be. The face and body slightly fuller, but it was her. Her clothes were a mess, skinny jeans with bright orange designs running down the front. A white tank top and light plaid shirt sat on top, partially covered by a plain black zipper jacket. Black and white chucks completed the outfit.

That wasn't Belle.

But that scar. That unique jaw line. The shy smile and clasped hands in front of her beautiful hips. Ruby's mouth dropped open. Bethany moved first and slammed into her big sister. Belle returned the hug, eyes wide with surprise but unmoving from Ruby's.

"I'm so sorry, Belle," Bethany whispered and squeezed the shorter woman tighter.

Belle pulled back and touched her cheek. "It's quite alright, Darling."

Bethany stepped back and clasped her hands in front of her. Belle found Ruby's eyes again.

"Your eyes are green," Ruby blurted as though it was an appropriate greeting.

"Oh," Belle dug around in her eyes and pulled out two thin pieces of soft plastic. "Contacts. Guess I don't need to hide anymore," she explained and shoved the colored disks into her jacket pocket.

"What are you doing here?" Ruby asked stupidly. Nothing else came to mind.

"I wanted to come home," Belle answered easily and wrapped her arms around her belly with a shy smile on her face.

"To Storybrooke?" Ruby asked across the diner.

Belle shook her head. "To you and Alex." Ruby's face softened, and her hand covered her mouth in time to catch a gasping sob.

"I forgive you, Ruby." The diner patrons reacted visibly. Everyone knew what happened that day two months ago. No one expected those words uttered from the librarian's mouth, not with sincerity shining in her bright blue eyes.

Ruby never remembered moving, but Belle's body collided with hers, their combined momentum stopping only when they met. Ruby's hands buried in frizzy blonde hair as she towered over her returned lover. Something inside sparked to life when her lips pressed to Belle's once more, something she wondered if she'd ever feel again.

"Belle, I'm so sorry," she whispered against those lips before moving against them once more, afraid she'd wake from this dream if she stopped kissing her lover.

"It's in the past," Belle said when they almost parted for air but maintained contact with their lips and grasping hands.

"I never stopped believing in us, Belle," Ruby rasped. She wanted to say nothing and everything at the same time.

"Neither did I," Belle answered and fisted Ruby's tank top. Their pendants clanked together and pressed imprints into their chests. Belle smiled at the design against her skin and pressed her forehead to Ruby's sternum.

A sharp smack on the back of her head startled them both. Belle's head jerked forward under the force. "You hungry, Child?" Granny huffed clearly the culprit of the affectionate slap, fist punched into her hip. Ruby was going to be exactly like her in 30 years.

Belle laughed and flung herself into Granny's bosom. "Starving. I just drove 14 hours through the night to get here."

Granny harrumphed. "Where the hell you been, Girl?" She patted her back and then touched her face tenderly when she released her from the hug.

"I drove as far as Boston, and then caught the first plane available, which was to Portland, Oregon. I hitchhiked across the Midwest for a while, and then I just kept coming East. I found myself in Richmond, Virginia yesterday, so rented a car and kept driving. I didn't actually know where I was going until I ended up in Boston again. The Mercedes wasn't where I left it, so I assume it was either stolen or you reported it stolen in attempt to locate me."

"We never found it, so it must have been stolen. Do we have to return the rental?" Ruby asked suddenly, recovered enough to speak.

Belle shook her head. "I bought a cheap clunker next town over and returned it. I'm never leaving Storybrooke again, not unless we break the barrier and leave together."

Ruby pressed her face into Belle's neck and shook bodily as more tears spilled onto her cheeks. Belle held the back of her head gently.

Granny cleared her throat, fighting her own tears. "Go on. I'll bring you both some burgers and fries to the library."

"Gran, could I have a grilled chicken sandwich on rye with smoked gouda, relish, and a little of that raspberry sauce you put on ice cream sundaes…and honey Dijon mustard? Oh, and green tea?" Belle asked hopefully.

Granny's eyebrows shot to the roof. Belle had always been odd, but the request landed in the realm of space cadet. "I had it in Portland. It was delicious." Belle shrugged. "Can you bring it over in one hour?"

Granny shook her head, an uncontrollable smile on her face. "Whatever you want, Girl. Now go on."

Belle nodded gratefully and tucked into her wolf's side. Ruby wrapped around her so tightly she almost had no room to walk straight. She touched Bethany's arm as she passed. "When things settle down, can we talk?"

Bethany nodded and wiped at her smeared mascara. Belle smiled and left the diner with Ruby leaning heavily against her. The wolf dropped the keys when she tried to unlock the library, and Belle scooped them up, unprepared for the sight that greeted her. The library was clean and shiny and free of the dust and musty scent she expected.

"I kept it clean for you," Ruby said without expectation of praise or thanks. She simply stated a fact.

Belle melted. Ruby hadn't given up on them, or her. "Thank you," Belle said as she took her hand and pulled her towards the stairs. She'd admire her library later. Right now, she wanted Ruby Lucas wrapped in her arms with nothing separating their skin but air and water.

She directed them to the bathroom and gently disentangled Ruby's body from her own. Ruby's red rimmed eyes drank in every single inch of skin Belle presented. She'd grown thicker during their separation, more resembled the timid librarian she taught how to use a toaster properly and made love to for the first time in a car than the warrior.

A nibble of doubt ate at the back of Belle's mind when Ruby failed to react to her completely exposed body. She crossed her arms over her breasts and bowed her head. Hands had bathed and clothed and pampered every single inch of her for the first 18 years of her life, but this one woman, a peasant and wolf - what her court considered a vile creature - was the only woman who ever had an opinion about her appearance that mattered to her aside from her own.

"I'm sorry," Belle said and bit back her disappointment. What exactly had she expected? "I only wanted to shower with you."

A black jacket she recognized as her own joined her clothes on the floor. "Belle," the wolf whispered and waited for those eyes to meet hers.

A thousand emotions swirled around the room, and all of them crashed into the two women at once. Belle raised her eyes when Ruby touched her hands. She stepped into her and guided her hands to the hem of her tank top. Sheer bliss covered Ruby's features when she closed her eyes and lifted her arms above her head.

Belle cradled Ruby's sanity in gentle, loving hands. Her poor lover had so many cracks in her shield that one wrong touch, too much pressure in a weak spot shattered everything. She almost felt guilty but reminded herself that Ruby screwed up, too. Sure, she never should have left, but Ruby drove her to it, leaving her believing there was no other option, especially given what she'd learned the week leading up to her departure.

As she traced the definition of Ruby's ribs with feathery fingertips, the thoughts of her secrets dissipated, and she decided that never again would she entertain the idea of abandoning her beloved. Her brow furrowed at the skin stretched tightly over her lover's skeleton. Hip bones jutted, breast plate scarily prominent, like a brand new washboard. Ruby usually ate when she needed comfort.

Apparently, she'd gone far beyond upset and ventured into the territory of depression and despair. She'd always been very thin, but her body had never ventured into gauntness before. She'd stopped eating.

"Ruby," she whispered, and those beautiful brown eyes opened.

Belle stepped away and adjusted the shower temperature. Ruby watched with rapt attention. If she dreamed, she prayed that she never woke. Belle stepped into her again, and they both gasped at the sensation of skin meeting nothing but heated skin.

"May I have my heart?" Belle asked and pressed a hand to Ruby's chest without sinking into it.

Ruby nodded and braced herself for the pinch and sting of her lover's hand slipping into her chest cavity. Belle pushed, but nothing happened. "I'm not calm enough to reach the earth," Belle explained.

"It's okay. Emma or Regina can fix it later," Ruby said, sounding calmer than she had since Belle's unannounced arrival. "Could you feel me? Out there, I mean, like last time?"

Belle pressed a kiss to the skin above their hearts and nodded without removing her lips.

"You never changed this past moon."

"I knew that it would hurt you."

"I would have deserved it for…" Ruby's lips upon her own stopped the thought. Three fingertips on her lips kept her quiet as Ruby pulled back.

"No," she whispered. "Don't do that. Don't start the blame game. We both screwed up. It's done. It's over. We've each forgiven and been forgiven. I just want this. I just want us to start over with a clean slate. I'm sure that I'll fuck it up first," she chuckled, and Belle followed.

"I just want you home and safe and with me. I wish you'd gone about it differently, but you weren't wrong to leave. Storybrooke needed time to accept your past, and we needed the time apart. Now," Ruby tucked frizzy blonde hair behind ears and cupped her cheeks.

"Now, I just want to wake up beside you every morning. You're it for me, Belle. You're my one, the love of my life. I'll never stray again, emotionally and certainly not physically." Ruby unhooked the chain around her neck that held her pendant and removed the ring she'd carried there since the day Belle called off their engagement before reattaching the pendant.

"I'm not perfect, Belle. I never pretended to be," Ruby said as she knelt on both knees and presented the ring to her lover.

"If you don't want this or me, I'll understand, but I will never stop loving you. You've seen the best of me and the deepest, ugliest parts of me, and everything in between. And yet, here you are." Ruby's emotions attacked her words, and her voice quivered.

She cleared her throat and swallowed thickly. "I'm not asking you to marry me. You said you didn't want that after what happened with Regina. I just…want to know if you'll be mine." Her words lilted upwards as though she questioned her wording. Belle nodded encouragingly and held the side of Ruby's neck, thumb brushing her jaw line tenderly.

"I still have the deed to that house. I love living with Emma and Regina, but if we start having kids, too, we have no room for them." Ruby laughed, and Belle smiled with a nod.

"Not to mention, I'm really tired of hearing them have sex, especially since… you know what, never mind." Belle knew nothing of Emma's accident and amnesia. That was a guilt-filled conversation for another time. Right now, she wanted Belle all to herself.

"The point is: I want us to move forward. To really start fresh, and that's what I'm asking you right now. Will you move forward with me, Belle French?"

Belle touched her face tenderly and sank to her knees in front of Ruby. "I'll move forward with you, Ruby Lucas." Ruby flashed her a brilliant smile and kissed her. Belle pushed her back gently. "On one condition," she added, a seriousness in those blue eyes that gave Ruby's heart a shock.

"Anything. I'll do anything," Ruby agreed.

Belle grabbed the jacket she'd been wearing and pulled a ring box from the pocket. Ruby's chin quivered instantly, her emotions too intense to contain any longer. Belle opened the box and presented a simple, almost plain ring. A one karat white diamond sat atop four little claws on a white gold band. No flourish. No pizzazz. Just a ring, insignificant at first glance.

"It was the simplest ring I could find. That's what you are and what you want. You never wanted to be a hero. You became one because that's who you are. You refused a position on The Council. You hate magic. You want an ordinary life, a quiet life with the ones you love happy and safe. It's the reason you're the obvious pick to carry that dagger," she pointed at the sheath of Ruby's belt still attached to her jeans.

"I'm not perfect, nor have I ever claimed to be. My latest adventure into the world has taught me two things. One: always hitch rides with truckers because most of them are family men who will not harm you, even if they act like perverts and sometimes smell funny." Ruby laughed out loud, smile plastered despite her tears.

"Two: Up until the moment I woke up 3,000 miles away, I felt trapped here. I wanted the adventure and excitement that I read about in my books. When I finally broke free from this relatively simple life we'd created, the only thing I wanted to do was lay on the hood of your ridiculous red car and watch the stars with you down by the river. Turns out my heart wasn't trapped even if my mind thought I was." She stopped to take a deep, shuddering breath and pushed forward.

"I want it all, Ruby. I want all of you, and I want to give you all of me. I want that house, and I want a bunch of little wolves with blue eyes and big brains, but they must have your long legs and arms because short people struggle too much in this world. Without magic or high heels, I'd have needed a step stool to reach my tea in Regina's kitchen." They both laughed and wiped at wet faces.

"Will you marry me, Ruby Lucas?"

Though she knew the words were coming, Ruby still reacted visibly to them. She opened her mouth and said yes, but nothing came out. Belle's smile grew painfully past its threshold. Ruby nodded and held out a shaking hand.

They exchanged rings and then wiggled their fingers, adjusting to the new weight of the metal and the reality of what they'd just done.

They stopped being afraid.

They showered quickly, actually bathing instead of playing with each other, and moved to the bed. Ruby leaned against the wall and accepted her lover's weight onto her thighs. Skin slid and stuck against wet skin as they came together for an innocent but no less passionate kiss.

A knock at the door parted them. Belle's shoulders slumped in relief. "Thank the gods, I'm starving," she chirped excitedly and grabbed her discarded towel from the floor.

She tucked the corner between her breasts and opened the door. Granny raised an eyebrow but said nothing about her state of undress. "Thank you, Granny," Belle said and leaned forward with the intention of kissing her cheek.

Granny pulled back slightly. "That mouth been anywhere I don't want to know about yet?"

Ruby groaned from somewhere inside, and Belle giggled girlishly, "Not yet."

The elder Lucas nodded in satisfaction and presented her cheek. With a shaking hand, she tucked strands of wet hair behind her other daughter's ear. "I'm happy you didn't get your damn fool self killed out there."

Belle's face softened. "I love you, too, Granny." The old woman huffed and turned on her heel, stalking across the balcony towards the stairs.

Belle locked the door with a grin. It felt wonderful to be home. How she'd ever left in the first place was beyond her understanding. She carried the food directly to the bed, set their drinks on the floor, and dug through the bag. Ruby's nose wrinkled when Belle bit into her odd concoction and moaned unabashedly.

"Oh my god, I've been craving this for hours," Belle mumbled around the half-masticated food. "Granny makes it better than I do."

Ruby watched her lover, unable to take her eyes from that face she'd dreamed about so often. Belle opened her eyes and giggled self-consciously around her food. "Sorry, I'm really hungry."

"S'okay," Ruby managed, too enchanted to say more.

"Eat, Ruby Lucas, you've thinned unhealthily. I intend to rectify that within a week," Belle gently chided her lover, letting her know with her tone if not her words that she wasn't angry or disappointed that Ruby fell apart a little bit.

Ruby dutifully obeyed the command and bit into her burger without really tasting it. "Why blonde?" she asked after swallowing. Her stomach growled, inspiring her to chomp off a larger bite while she awaited the answer.

"It was different, and no one looked for a missing green-eyed blonde. I'm letting it grow out naturally and cutting it instead of dying it again. Hope you can tolerate a skunk for a couple of months," Belle explained nonchalantly and moaned into her sandwich again.

"Makes sense. Your hair is difficult anyway. I can't believe you dyed it in the first place." Ruby squeezed ketchup from tiny packets over her fries and shove three into her mouth when she finished speaking.

Belle hummed, but nothing else was spoken as they finished their food. Ruby took the empty foam containers to the trash, and Belle slipped between the sheets. The wolf hesitated at the foot of the bed, and Belle reached out a shaking hand.

"Hold me while I nap?"

It was all Ruby needed. She slid into the bed with the excitement of a puppy and wiggled into a comfortable position. Belle smiled as a slice of her lover's former childishness reignited in her behavior. Her head fell against the thin chest, one arm possessively around Ruby's jutting ribs. A leg nudged between the wolf's, an ankle tucking beneath her calf.

"I'll be here when you wake up," Ruby assured her nervous lover and then yawned against her will.

"So will I," she returned and pressed a kiss to Ruby's small breast near her mouth.

Ruby's arms tightened. Time passed. Belle's breath evened out, and Ruby's followed.

Before she drifted into what she hoped was the first restful sleep she'd had since trying to rape her partner, the wolf whispered, "You're my home, too, Belle."


	33. Another one?

Thanks for the reviews! Hold on, My Doves. It's about to get bumpy.

Songs: All the Same to Me by Anya Marina (Regina), Fight Like a Girl by Emilie Autumn (Katy)

* * *

Footsteps echoed in the hall, and Regina sneered with a snap of her fingers. She materialized in the center of her magical prison in Belle's heels. Lauren rattled in her restraints when she ran her glowing hands on her dress, smoothing out the wrinkles. She repeated the process with her shoulder-length hair and spared a moment to wish it longer or shorter for the bitchy affect as she'd perfected during Evil Queen and Mayor Mills days.

She extinguished the fireball over head, shrouding them in complete darkness. A small fire lit in her hand, not enough to provide any real light but emitted a faint glow on her face. Ben faltered in the doorway as the sound of metal against metal echoed and faded. He held two bags, presumably food, but his hesitance to enter permeated the room.

Regina laughed gleefully. "I am quite disappointed my reign left you so woefully ignorant, Dear. My captives never saw a restful night," Regina taunted. Her voice sounded foreign to her, so listless and raspy… and missed? She missed being The Evil Queen?

"Luckily, you gave me time to break this barrier," Regina bluffed nonchalantly, enjoying the thrill of psychological games they played with each other. She was better than some whiny, angst-ridden little boy. The only person in the world who she'd tortured enough to rival a level of her own had been Belle.

The fire flashed instantly and flew towards his head. He shrieked and ducked, falling out of sight into the empty hallway. Regina cackled when it hit the barrier and fizzled into nothing, leaving them in the dark save the light filtering from the safety lights in the hall. He glared when he reappeared, but his hands shook and eyes flitted about unable to meet hers.

She clicked her tongue, lips pursed. "Awww. Did mommy or daddy get roasted? Is that why I'm in this circle?"

He tossed one of the bags into the barrier and made a wide birth around it to Lauren. Regina ignored it and stalked him, fingers trailing on the invisible force field behind her, making it shimmer and spark and singe the tips of her fingers. His shoulders hunched, back to her as he worked on Lauren.

"Did I kill your daughter? Did she fall victim to my powers of seduction? Did I deflower your little princess?" Her lips pouted, voice sickeningly sweet. How easy this person surfaced.

"Shut up!" He yelled over his shoulder. He backhanded Lauren in retaliation, and Regina giggled.

"Feel better, Dear?"

"Go to hell, you sick bitch," he seethed through clenched teeth.

"Oh," she touched the chest above her heart in mock hurt at his words. "I'd be returned within a week, Dear, for fear of taking over," she dropped, her voice epitomizing boredom.

His shoulders tightened, and her brow furrowed quizzically. "That's why you were chosen. Haven't the spine to overthrow the hand that controls you, hmmm?"

"He doesn't control me!" Ben whirled and yelled at the obstinate woman. His eyes widened at the revelation of information, and he returned immediately to the task of caring for Lauren's hand.

Regina laughed, genuinely amused, "Yes, clearly, you want to be in this room with me." her laughter carried through her words, and she touched a hand to her stomach.

It stopped abruptly, and she leaned forward, creating a small magical insulator to spare her hands more burns. "Cut off from help," she started, voice dropping into a deeper growl with every word. "No one can hear you scream. No one to find your lifeless body before rats pick your bones clean."

Lauren's eyes narrowed when he moved from between them. Regina nodded in apology for the slap. Lauren cocked her head to one side with a slight shrug as if saying "Eh, who cares?" Regina smirked as she realized that Lauren supported her intimidation tactics wholeheartedly and pressed her hands harder into the barrier. He winced at each snap and pop of magic grating against magic.

"Would you prefer I incinerate you completely?" Regina continued. "I'm quite flexible, Dear, I assure you." She cocked her head to one side, studying his tense body and obvious silence. "Would he bury you, Darling?"

He stepped as close to the barrier as he dared and struggled to maintain mental control. "Do you know she cried out for you the first time I raped her?"

Regina's stomach clenched. Bile crept up her throat. She smiled prettily. "Want to know how I figured out you weren't in charge?"

Ben gritted his teeth as his best emotional weapon failed to rattle her resolve loose. "You drugged her. I always took such pleasure in the struggle, the mental clarity of knowing I controlled their body while leaving their mind in tact."

An energy pulse crashed into the barrier at his face, and he jumped back. "You don't have the stomach to truly violate someone, Dear. You're a useless little boy lapping at the hand of his master."

With a flick of her hand, the scrambled eggs from the bag shot into the air and attacked him from the other side of the barrier. The inertia from its magical launch created enough energy to hit him in the face and chest. He sputtered, and her laughter echoed off the walls, surrounding him in cruel mockery.

"You were supposed to eat that! You're already contained. Why would I have to drug you?" He exclaimed, hands spread wide as he assessed the damage to his scrubs.

Regina chuckled. "You haven't the intestinal fortitude to drug me, and I don't take lollipops from strangers. Do you honesty forget to whom you speak?" She snickered, smile growing with murderous intent. With a sigh of resignation, she raised her hand to shoulder level and studied her fingernails. "If the case is such, I'd like nachos from The Rabbit Hole."

"Seriously?" He deadpanned, disbelief in his eyes and voice.

"I quite enjoy them. No one has truly lived until she's consumed nachos from a dive bar," Regina repeated almost verbatim what Emma said to her the day Katy saved her life. With any luck, he'd repeat it to Emma when he left for his lunch break. Surely, her family discovered her absence by now.

"I'd like my last meal to be enjoyable and guilt-inducing since the last taste upon my lips will likely not be my wife," Regina feigned nonchalance with a hint of fear. Her voice quivered, but she maintained the disinterested gaze on her nails.

He smiled. "No, it won't. The Savior has been pardoned as long as your brat keeps her mouth shut. He should have let me kill her weeks ago." He smiled as though the words were meant to carve a score upon her heart, and though they had, she smiled and batted her eyelashes.

"Do you intend to let me starve to death or will I eventually face a challenge of merit?" Regina asked, turning her back with boredom to trail her fingers over the barrier. "I suppose you believe your handler capable of triumph -" she glanced over her shoulder for dramatic effect, "- or will the task of releasing me from this confinement fall on your quivering shoulders as well?"

His face turned beet red with anger, jaws puffing with the effort of remaining silent. "Fine, you can both go hungry this morning. I tried being nice." He stomped from the room in a whirl of infantile temper tantrum to the sound of Regina's mocking laughter.

Once closed behind the door and no longer able to hear the echo of his heavy feet, Regina relaxed her shoulders and caught Lauren's eyes. "Too much?" The succubus shook her head, restraints rattling.

"Ad oooer ear," she muttered nonsensically around her gag.

Regina's eyebrows furrowed, wry smile tugging up one cheek. "Perhaps best if you refrain from drooling on yourself, Dear." Lauren's eyes narrowed at the insult, but a mischievous glint sparked in those hazel orbs.

"I'm glad to be here with one who can remain calm," Regina confessed more seriously. "He didn't hurt you?" Lauren shook her head.

"Uff. Mm uff," she managed and huffed in frustration.

"Tough?" Lauren nodded enthusiastically. Regina smirked with a silent laugh. "I should imagine, Dear. You spent years as my stable girl, not the most gentle position I've bestowed. I was quite particular about Rocinante's care."

She smiled sadly and resumed her angry glare at the door. Without her phone or a window, she had no reference of time. She may have waited all night or only an hour for all she knew. Time passed differently in captivity. Lauren settled against the wall and rattled the chains of her shackles, searching for relief from the position she'd barely released for two weeks.

Regina felt for the young woman while at the same time allowing her pride to swell. Ben failed to break her. She may have missed breakfast and a bathroom break this morning, but lighting defiance in the young succubus' heart once more brought far more genuine satisfaction. She discovered two things that morning that gave her hope and strength to continue the façade.

Without her, Emma remained safe as long as Katy's resolve to protect her withstood the barrage of questions and emotional invasions. Someone else aside from Ben pulled the strings, manipulated the situation. As long as his identity remained secret, they hadn't yet neared their endgame. She almost prayed but stopped herself. She'd released silent prayers for months now, and nothing happened. She'd made her own fate, her own path, and with this new Emma's help, she'd combined the two constantly warring parts of herself.

"Come on, Emma," she urged. Surely, someone noticed her absence by now. Emma knew she rose early no matter how little sleep she obtained to feed Annabel and visit with Katy.

She only needed a magical blood source smeared on the circle to break it. How long would it take them to notice?

Ben wondered the same question as he dabbed at his shirt and navigated the confusing halls towards Katy's room. A scream of frustration greeted him as he scanned his identification card and turned onto the psychology unit. He followed an attendant and sprinted down the hall.

Eva Zambrano and Emma Swan faced off outside Katy's room. The chief of surgery lunged for the door only to be blocked by The Savior. Emma pushed her shoulders roughly, forcing her back a few steps. Eva growled, hands clenched into fists.

"Did you not hear me? Regina is missing. Ruby is not answering her phone. If he has Regina, what use does he have for Lauren?" Eva yelled, fear and rage finally snapping to attention.

"Eva, I heard the first time, but attacking her is not the way to do this!" Emma reasoned, holding her ground in front of Katy's door. The girl had been used and abused and assaulted and mindfucked beyond recognition. Emma determined to prevent someone she trusted and cared about from doing the same if at all possible to prevent it.

"Enough of this," Eva decided and rushed the door once more. Emma grabbed her as she had several times before.

"No!" Amelia screamed as Emma crumpled to the floor. "Damn it, Eva, we don't know how your powers are going to affect her brain! Reverse the damn fear scape! Now!" She spoke and checked Emma's life signs simultaneously.

Eva brushed past her and grabbed Katy's temples as the girl rushed the door. The momentum halted abruptly, her body jerking and seizing immediately. "Who took Lauren?"

Katy fell to the floor. Her body moved with random spasms, but her eyes remained open and lucid. "Ben," Eva breathed.

She grabbed Emma, now much calmer that information had been retrieved. Emma shot up and slapped her hands away. Anger and fear crossed her features and settled into watery green eyes. "What the hell did you do to me?" She shivered, shaking away the penetrating nightmares etched into her waking mind now that she'd seen them asleep.

Eva leaned into her ear, ignoring the heated question. "It's Ben," she whispered.

Emma leapt to her feet. Ben took off down the hallway. "Lock down the floor!" Emma screamed and pushed herself forward, not having sprinted in some time. Bare feet slapped the floor behind her a moment before Katy's younger, fitter body passed her and football tackled the man nearly twice her size.

A hard right hook knocked him silly, and she straddled his hips. Using the cast on her left hand, she turned his face into the inside of a meat grinder before Emma ever reached her. "Fuck you!" She screamed at him.

"I hate you!" Tears streamed down her face, and each blow landed more gently than the last as her anger dissipated into grief.

"You destroyed everything!" She continued her poignant yelling. "I had a family," she whispered. "You took everything from me," she wailed, breaking into sobs as Emma skidded to a stop on her knees beside her.

Strong, protective arms immediately wrapped around her waist and pulled her from the man. Katy collapsed against her chest. Haunting wails violently quaked her lean body, and Emma struggled to maintain a firm grip. Without warning, she broke free and sprinted back to her room.

"Give me my damn clothes!" She ordered the nurses at their station. They glanced towards Emma who nodded once and followed the girl back to her room.

They tossed a bag of personal belongings as she passed. Katy stood stark naked by the time she reached the door and snatched the bag from her hand and shimmied into the clothes she'd worn the day of her suicide attempt.

"Amelia, get David and Snow on the phone right now," she ordered as she pulled socks and tennis shoes on her feet. "Tell them to go to Granny's and sit tight with Alex and Annabel. Go to the house. Get your potions and then set a barrier around the diner. Find Ruby if you can."

"Katy, what are you doing?" Emma demanded. "What's happening?"

"I'm not sure, but we have to move fast. Ben was working with someone. I don't know who, but he was scared of him. I think it's a guy, anyway. I never met or spoke to him." She answered and slid her dagger into the sheath at her hip, causing everyone to wince. They'd questioned Katy's mental state before she practically beat a man to death with the bloody cast attached to her arm.

"Emma, Eva, you're with me. Let's go get your girls. If I'm going to die, at least let me go the way Aunt Marion went." She met their eyes pointedly. "Protecting my family."

She bolted from the room, and Emma and Eva struggled to keep up with the hectic pace as Amelia pulled out her phone and followed at a slower clip as she dialed. Katy waited impatiently for Eva to buzz them out of the psych wing and sprinted to the stairwell. Emma matched her steps, her energy synchronizing with daughter's.

"Put him in restraints until we get back," Emma ordered over her shoulder as the nurses watched the frenzied movement with confusion and fear.

Eva pressed her ident card into Emma's hand and followed as fast as her damaged and scarred muscles allowed, not willing to slow them down because of her injuries. The duo descended the stairs in perfect step, their bodies humming with the adrenaline of the hunt. They leapt from the bottom set a few stairs and hit the floor running towards a huge door with a keypad on the outside.

Emma swiped Eva's card in front of it, releasing the locks. She propped the door for doctor and followed Katy down a dark stone hall lit with safety lights. Regina perked when they entered the room, puffing for air.

"Emma!" Regina called, relieved and happy to be rescued once more by her beautiful savior.

"Here," Katy said and pulled the dagger from her belt. Emma jerked when she sliced it over her hand. "Rub it on that chalk line on the floor. It breaks the barrier." She spoke as she moved to Lauren.

"Lauren, I'm so sorry," she whispered as she slid the knife beneath the cloth in her mouth and cut it loose.

Lauren stretched her jaws a few times before speaking. "It's okay, Katy. I saw what he did to you. I'd be scared, too. It's done," Lauren soothed the girl's guilt as much as she could. Anger came later when the smoke cleared, and they emerged victorious.

Emma and Regina came together for a hug. Emma pulled back and helped Katy undo the restraints on Lauren's wrists. "This was too easy, Katy. If this person is after Regina, why make this so easy? He must have known that you'd eventually crack and turn on Ben."

They caught Lauren as her body released from the wall and lowered her gently to the cot as Eva rounded the corner. "Lauren!" She practically straddled her nurse in the haste to feel her once more.

"Emma, this isn't about Regina. You need to find Ruby. Go!" She pushed her towards Regina. The foggy reason behind her sudden and adamant rejection of her aunt cleared like steam on a mirror. She protected her heart from what she believed inevitable: Ruby's death.

"Go. Poof. Flash! Get the hell out of here. Find Ruby. I'll help Eva get Lauren upstairs." She yelled at her mothers and glared at them until Emma took Regina's hand and disappeared in a flash of purple smoke.

They materialized outside the diner where Granny and Tink stood by the door but within the barrier. Granny pointed towards the library, and Regina nodded. Regina flashed again, taking them to the apartment. Blood covered the floor, oozing from Amelia with a knife sticking from her belly.

"Amelia!" Emma dropped to her knees and touched her friend's neck while Regina moved through the loft in search of her loyal wolf. "Regina, she's alive! We need to get her to Eva."

"Belle came back," Regina said in a deep, detached voice. "The bed has been slept in, two food containers in the trash, and this." Regina held up a plastic container filled with cookies. She ripped off a note written on her stationary and taped to the top and held it up. "It says: Welcome home, Bookworm. We missed you. Regina."

Emma's heart sank. Violet flared in Regina's eyes. The cookies must have been drugged and the scent hidden enough to pass Ruby's super wolf scent. Green eyes pleaded with her lover, and Regina touched Amelia's shoulder and Emma's hand. They materialized in the emergency room to the sound of gasps.

Regina rolled her eyes and pulled Emma's cell phone from her pocket. She figured they'd be used to her sudden appearances by that point. She dialed Snow and stepped away from the medical staff rushing to Amelia's aid. Her hands were useless in that effort, and her mind focused on something she still controlled.

"Snow," she barked when the other woman answered. "I need you to make some calls. I need some of Belle's snipers positioned at both roads leaving Storybrooke. This is voluntary, but someone kidnapped Ruby and Belle. They may try to leave town to erase their memories. Tell them to take out the tires of any vehicle approaching the line, no exceptions."

"Regina, what's happening?" Snow asked quickly, sensing the pending hang up.

"I'm not sure. Ben was working with someone. He held me hostage last night. His partner has Ruby and Belle for unknown reasons. Snow…" she lowered her voice and glanced around the emergency room. No one paid attention to her as they rushed to Amelia's aid.

"Rumpelstilskin's dagger wasn't at the library. Whoever took them controls The Dark One. Get those people out there now."


	34. Why?

Thanks for the reviews! I couldn't decide which chapter to post first, but I wanted to tell the story from both sides. Plus, RedBeauty. MmmmHmmm, need my Ruby Lucas fix.

Enjoy Lovelies!

Songs: Your Call by Secondhand Serenade, Your Guardian Angel by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

* * *

Soft, wet kisses tickled Ruby's sternum. A warm body lay between her legs, a soft belly on her hips and abundant breasts pressed into her ribs. The morning crashed into her, and a smile spread on her lips. She whimpered, brow furrowing as her body responded immediately. Belle smiled against her chest.

"MMmm, Amelia," Ruby moaned, wide smile uncontrollable. Nails dug into her sides in retaliation, urging her eyes open.

"Ruby Lucas, you didn't," Belle deadpanned. Ruby laughed out loud, the sound foreign to her ears. Belle swatted her ribs, but a genuine smile tugged her lips upwards. It felt wonderful to smile again.

"You wouldn't believe how many offers I got," Ruby stated more seriously and tucked frizzy blonde hair behind Belle's ear only to burrow into it with gentle fingers, dislodging the errant strand. "Not from Amelia," she curtailed Belle's pending rant quickly, and her lover settled slightly.

"Ruby," her eyes slipped shut, lips dropping to her thin chest. She raised them slightly to mumble, "I don't want to know who or if you accepted any. I honestly don't care. If you'd left me the way I ran out on you, I might have sought comfort with someone else, too."

"I didn't," Ruby whispered. "I worked on my wolf and I took care of Alex. The thought never even crossed my mind. I just wanted you to come home to someone better than the one you left." Ruby's voice softly brushed her ears, calm and honest and reverent. Though she'd left so abruptly, Ruby partially understood that she needed to go for both of them. She hadn't wasted the time in squalor, though plenty of self-loathing and depression revealed itself at first glance. She strove to rectify the problem.

"Belle, I know you left because of me. You closed your bank account the day before the mob attacked you. It's okay. I'm not mad anymore, just trying to understand everything from your perspective."

Belle's eyes misted over. Though she regretted the manner, she knew without a doubt that leaving had been the right option. "I love you," she breathed.

She caught Ruby's lips as the wolf sat up, pushing her onto her knees with strong, thin hands on her shoulders. Belle allowed Ruby to guide her legs without breaking the kiss until she straddled the incredibly thin hips. Ruby lost far too much weight. Tender lips traced her jaw, and Belle tipped her head willingly, her body already electrified by the gentle innocent touches.

"Ruby, your wolf," she managed. It was the day before the full moon.

"Is under control," Ruby finished the thought confidently. Blue eyes searched out that beautiful chocolate brown that indicated Ruby maintained control. Ruby opened her soul, allowed the honesty and vulnerability to shine in her eyes without shame, without hesitation.

The weight of the ring Belle gave her pressed against her finger, the feeling still unfamiliar. She had no need for those emotions anymore - shame, hesitation, resistance. Belle was it, her all, her everything, and she sincerely believed that Belle felt the same. She came back. She loved her. She gave her an engagement ring because she discovered the same truth within herself. Ruby was her it, her one. The one.

Lips crashed. Moans vibrated and shared their delicious pleasure with the loft. Everything happened in slow motion and all at once. Belle gazed up at her with loving, trusting eyes. Slick walls grabbed her fingers. Flushed cheeks. Heated sighs and calls of ecstasy. Belle held her close, face hidden in her neck as she cried through her climax.

The wolf floated just beneath the surface, dormant and active at the same time. It no longer scared her, so she no longer fought it. The less she fought, the more control she obtained. It'd become a dull hum that stayed with her every single second of the day. It wasn't suppressed, it was controlled. Ruby discovered that there was a huge difference. She'd neglected her wolf, denied it, and it protested. Granny taught her to spend time with her wolf, exploring those emotions and desires alone rather than with another. She was the wolf and the wolf was her. Separation impossible.

Belle pushed her back gently, blue eyes flicking back and forth. Ruby knew she searched for any sign of the creature that still inspired the specter of fear. A smile spread slowly when she found no hint of yellow in those beautiful brown eyes, no trace of heightened senses aside from shaking hands and a quiet pant from parted lips. Ruby's mouth followed her lovers into an expression of joy.

"I told you I'd learn to control it for you. Turns out I just had to do it for me first," Ruby whispered.

Belle claimed her lips and flipped their positions; Ruby allowed it. She just wanted to be a woman, and the wolf gave her that as Belle nipped and sucked at her neck. Lips wrapped around a pert nipple, and Ruby arched into the mouth above her. "Please Belle," she pleaded and pushed on her shoulders.

The extra stimulation felt wonderful but was ultimately unnecessary. Teeth raked the hypersensitive flesh as Belle moved down her body without stopping to drop little kisses as she normally would have, to tease if not to make love. Ruby's legs bent at the knees, and she snaked her hands around firm thighs and buried her face where those long legs met.

The two hearts in Ruby's chest thumped wildly against one another. A clawed hand grabbed the skin above it. Belle covered the hand with her own, fingers slipping between her lover's to hold the area where their love emanated and filled Ruby to the brim. Firm lips sucked her clit into a hot, wet mouth, and the hearts somersaulted. Ruby cried out, hips rolling into her face.

Belle pressed on her stomach with her free hand and flicked her tongue over the sensitive nub between her lips. Ruby's stomach tightened instantly, jerking upwards violently with each flip of that familiar muscle. Her fingers squeezed Belle's painfully as the pressure between her legs built uncomfortably, sparking a sliver of panic.

"Belle," she cried. Tears slipped from her eyes. This was her salvation.

Belle responded by flattening her tongue and holding constant pressure and friction as she moved it up and down. Ruby bucked and hissed and gasped.

"Belle!" She grabbed the back of the librarian's head as her shoulders lifted from the bed. Belle continued to massage that bundle of nerves through the lack of oxygen due to Ruby's firm pressure on her head and the motion of her hips.

Ruby froze. Belle continued the gentle ministrations and sucked a deep breath while the opportunity arose. Ruby's back arched, accompanied by a sharp cry and followed by limp collapse to the bed and hollow wails of anguish mixed with pleasure. Belle followed her lover's mouth and held her weight on elbows as she claimed those lips, cutting short the sobs.

Ruby broke free from the kiss and buried her face in Belle's neck, arms trapping the body atop hers. "You left me!" She wailed, accused, confessed, grieved.

Belle lowered her face to Ruby's neck, mirroring the wolf's position. "I know. I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

"Why? Your note said that you hope I understood your reasons, but I don't. Why did you run away like that? You don't run," Ruby babbled, and Belle cried into her chest.

"I had to make sure I didn't lose faith in our love, Ruby. That's why I had to go," Belle explained through the tears. "I'm so sorry I hurt you like this."

"Don't leave me again, Belle. I won't survive," Ruby admitted honestly. She'd barely made it this time. It was different than Emma and Regina being separated for six months. The decision hadn't been theirs; Belle chose to leave.

"Never again. I promise. I am yours, Ruby Lucas," Belle answered, her own anguish clear in her voice. "I missed you so much out there. I wanted to come home every single day. That's why I didn't answer your texts and calls. Talking to you made me so homesick, but I wasn't ready yet."

"Belle," Ruby choked and then collapsed into body-shaking sobs.

"I'm here, Sweetheart," she answered and pressed soothing kisses along Ruby's jaw and throat.

Rather than answer vocally, she rolled Belle onto her back and sank lower. A silent gasp tore from Belle's throat at first contact of Ruby's tongue inside her velvet walls. Large hands covered her larger breasts and gently squeezed and palmed and massaged as the brown head bobbed between her bent legs.

One disappeared and two fingers slid into her a moment later. Belle moaned and rocked her hips gently, no rush or frenzied desperation for release. Ruby sensed her contentment of simply feeling her touch and slid back to her lips, slipping an arm beneath her neck to take her weight from Belle's heaving chest.

"Ruby," she whispered around that wide, perfect mouth atop hers.

"I'm here."

"I love you."

"I love you," Ruby answered easily and reclaimed Belle's swollen lips.

The excruciatingly slow pace of her fingers sent Belle squirming and giggling and moaning. Her hips never sped up, though, so Ruby enjoyed the moment, absorbed the feeling of Belle writhing beneath her as the pleasure built so slowly she barely noticed the tightened clench of those scorching, slick muscles around her pruned fingers.

"Ruby, I need more," Belle breathed, formulating words where gasps and sighs only filled the air. Every nerve ending in her body burning and tingled with arousal. The bubble of pressure in her belly expanded almost painfully as Ruby kept her teetering on the precipice of oblivion for far too long.

"Please," she begged. "Please, I need you."

Ruby covered her mouth with her own, swallowing any other desperate pleas. A third finger slid into Belle's clenched center, and she caught a long, languorous moan from the mouth beneath hers. She found that leathery nub within her lover, almost unable to reach it from the tightness of the constricting muscles. Belle bucked and flung her arms around Ruby's head and neck, holding their mouths together in a death lock.

Ruby rubbed that most sensitive spot, alternating between tickling pressure and little jabs. Belle's head tipped away from hers, mouth open in a silent scream. Ruby expected cursing or moaning or screaming as Belle usually expressed her pleasure vocally, but only soft pants and gasps filled the air around them. One more jab, and Belle came undone.

"Ruby" she choked, tears already dripping onto her face. Belle cried more often than not, but these tears felt different, purer, happier, not simply pleasure-filled.

"I love you, Belle," Ruby murmured into her ear.

Belle nudged her shoulder and squeezed her legs shut until they lay side by side without removing Ruby's fingers. "I love you," she mumbled into Ruby's chest as she scooted down the bed slightly, taking advantage of Ruby's long wingspan.

A teasing finger swiped through Ruby's wetness, and she bent her leg at the knee, spreading herself for her long lost lover returned once more. Belle slipped inside, gliding easily, hand glistening with the proof of Ruby's still burning desire for her. She tipped her head to meet Ruby's lips, losing herself in the congruent, lazy motion of her lips and hand.

Ruby moved inside her, and she shook her head, breaking the kiss. "It's your turn, Baby. I just want to feel you."

Ruby's fingers stilled, and Belle added a third finger, pumping her at that same excruciatingly slow pace Ruby drove her insane with only minutes ago. The wolf captured her lips again and held the back of her head with the arm beneath her neck. Tongues touched, bringing with them the faint taste of salt and tang of their lovemaking.

Belle pressed against the small patch within the other woman. Ruby's hips jerked into hers. The kiss broke, and Ruby dropped her forehead to Belle's shoulder. Hot, wet pants heated the flushed, sweaty skin above the fleshy mound pressing into her much smaller breast.

"Belle, Baby, I can't," Ruby panicked, the emotions of two hearts far too intense.

"You can. I'm right here. I love you," Belle comforted her frightened lover. She added an extra bit of force to her thrusts, taking the focus to the physical pleasure rather than the splaying of emotional barriers.

"Belle," Ruby whispered, tears in her voice. The librarian wiggled the arm beneath her until she held the side of Ruby's neck and settled in for the rocky road to climax. Ruby always found it difficult to let go during emotional sex.

"Baby, please," she begged, but Belle refused the plea, maintaining the firm, slow strokes.

Ruby clenched around her, relaxed, shivered. "I've got you, Sweetheart, and I'm never letting you go again."

"Belle." Clench. Relax. Shiver.

"I fucked up, Ruby, and I'm never leaving you again." Hips jerked against her hand.

Belle brushed against the ribbed nub inside, and Ruby whimpered. "Just let go, Baby," Belle encouraged and jabbed at the sensitive patch.

"Belle," she rasped. "Belle," another harsh whispered. Muscles clenched. Pressure tingled in her belly. "Belle!" The pressure released again as her panic swelled.

Belle patiently rebuilt the pending climax. She pressed light circles on Ruby's clit with the heel of her hand and tickled her g-spot. Ruby stiffened, spine snapping taut with the over stimulation. Belle slid in and out, moving less than inch from the sweet spot without removing her hand from the bundle of nerves outside. Her hand moved quickly, poking and then crooking upwards and massaging all at once.

Ruby cried out. Teeth sank into her shoulder. Hot muscles grabbed her fingers as Ruby's hips bucked upwards and then again without falling to the bed, curling her into a ball. Heat exploded in her belly as she toppled over that chasm of ecstasy with Belle's name on her lips. It felt wonderful and terrifying all at the same time.

"Belle," she whined around the tightness in her throat. "Belle, you're here. I love you."

"I'm here," Belle confirmed. "I'm right here, Sweetheart."

Both hands pulled free from the other's wet, undulating muscles and spread the liquid over shivering sides. Ruby pulled Belle tightly against her, skin sticking and pulling from the cooling sheen of sweat. Belle tipped her cheek with her nose, hinting without words at her desire to kiss the other woman. Ruby obliged.

It started slowly and stretched for what seemed like hours. Soft gasps and moans harmonized the improvised dance of lips and tongues. Belle pulled back first and smoothed Ruby's hair from her flushed face. Ruby smiled up at her with a sleepy grin and hooded eyes.

"Your red streak needs redone," Belle said as though what just happened led to the natural progression in conversation.

Ruby snorted and pulled Belle on top of her chest as she lay back. "You've totally been thinking that the entire time, haven't you?"

Belle shook her head, blonde frizz bouncing. "Nope, not until it came out of my mouth."

Ruby shivered, and Belle lurched to the end of the bed to grab the blanket from the floor. In the five seconds required to return to Ruby's chest, the wolf covered her eyes and released silent tears. Belle said nothing but nuzzled into her chest and tucked the blanket around them.

Ruby rarely cried during sex, the times low enough to be counted on one hand, and she'd broken down several times during this reconnection of body and souls. Belle pondered if the reason spawned from having two hearts in her chest or the intense relief of her return. Either way, Belle determined to comfort her properly this time. She'd seen Ruby as an invincible figure before, but the wolf felt far too much to be that. Her weakness and strength originated in the same place, her love and compassion and fierce protectiveness.

Belle forgot that she was also a woman and not just a wolf. It took two months and a cross-country hitchhiking trip to realize how very much she'd wronged the woman she claimed to love most. Her shortcomings equaled Ruby's, but they'd finally arrived at this place.

Belle squeaked when the wolf switched their positions suddenly and rested her head on Belle's shoulder. Trembling fingers scratched and rubbed the skin between Belle's abundant breasts. She gave herself to the moment, allowing the librarian to comfort her completely. She was done with this whole situation and emotionally shredded. She needed this, so she took it and prayed Belle had recognized the changes in her enough to accept it at face value.

"I feel guilty for being happy," Ruby blurted. Belle scratched short nails through her hair and waited. "You've missed a lot of crap."

"Fill me in?"

"Emma has retrograde amnesia," she gently informed her partner. "She's been getting bits and pieces back, but she still thinks she's 21. She's been a pain in the ass."

Belle chuckled and then sighed. "I imagine were the situation less dire, Emma in this condition would prove absolutely hilarious." Her eyes lit up like a gas burner, igniting all at once. No doubt, were it left to Belle and Amelia, Emma would have tossed into an observation room and put on display like a circus freak.

Ruby raised her head and wrinkled her nose. "Of course you'd find traumatic brain injuries fascinating and amusing. You and Amelia deserve each other." Endearment laced her voice.

Belle shrugged one shoulder. "Did you know that only two really famous women named Belle in the United States were both criminals? One was a bandit from Texas and the other a thief and suspected serial killer. Belle Gunness was actually the first woman to be hanged, nearly 40 years before Mary Surratt."

Ruby's eyebrows shot towards the ceiling, and Belle cleared her throat. "Which has nothing to do with Emma's amnesia. Is she alright?"

Ruby returned her head to Belle's shoulder and drew little circles around the freckle between her breasts. "She's… coping. She's still Emma, but without all the bad shit that's happened to her in the past ten years. I'm pretty sure she and Regina had sex, which is long overdue. She smelled a lot like… you know what, never mind. I thought for sure they were going to combust from the tension," Ruby finished with embarrassment deepening the flush already on her cheeks.

"How?"

"Car accident," Ruby clipped, hoping to spare Belle the guilt of Emma's condition because she'd run.

"That was the cruiser just outside the line?" Belle exploded and shot upright, holding the blanket to her breasts more for emotional protection than modesty. She twisted and stared down at the woman she just dislodged from her chest.

"Yeah, you cut the gas lines on the Camry, so she took the cruiser that day."

Belle's forehead furrowed, scar bunching. "Ruby, I never cut the gas lines. I don't even know where they are. I'm sure given enough time and a manual, I'd find them, but… What?"

"Nothing," Ruby ground out and burrowed beneath the blankets. Katy manipulated Emma into that cruiser. Ruby's body shook with dread and rage. How were they supposed to forgive her for such a disgusting betrayal?

Belle suspected that the shiver that tore through her lover had little to do with the chill that inevitably followed sex as their bodies cooled. She lay on her side and tucked an arm beneath her head. "What is it, Sweetheart?"

"The person who has been doing all of these things to us -" she took a deep breath, released it, and finally closed her eyes against that beautiful blue that she adored so very much. "Katy's been helping him."

"What?" Belle's face distorted into grief and pain and a hint of disgust and anger. "Why would she do such a thing? Where is she?" Belle tensed to spring out of the bed, but Ruby grabbed her wrist with loose fingers.

"Don't bother. She's in the hospital. She…" She paused for a deep breath, and Belle slowly returned to her spot tucked against the taller woman. "She tried to kill herself," Ruby whined around genuine tears of fear and grief.

Belle gasped lightly and pressed her hand to Ruby's cheek. The wolf shook her head. "I'm so pissed at her. She's been playing us the whole time, but… I love her, damn it. I love that backstabbing little bitch so fucking much."

Belle accepted Ruby's head to her chest and held it gently with both hands. A knock at the door interrupted the moment, and Ruby groaned into her chest, "I can't even have an emotional breakdown without someone needing something."

Belle dropped a kiss to her temple. "I'll send them away. Why don't you get dressed? We can go get Alexandra and take her to the park before we have to be back at the diner."

Ruby nodded and Belle wrapped herself in the towel once more, hoping her partial nudity dissuaded the intruder against an extended visit. When she opened the door, however, she found only air. A glance to the floor brought a smile to her face, and she retrieved the plastic container with a quick look in either direction to make sure their fairy godmother had in fact disappeared.

"Ruby, Regina made cookies," she called and set the container on the counter.

Ruby returned from the bathroom in the jeans and camisole she'd worn earlier while Belle perused her clothing selection still hanging in the closet. Slender arms snaked around her belly and pulled at the towel until it hit the floor. Ruby kicked it away and dropped kisses along Belle's neck and shoulder. Belle leaned into her chest, allowing her strong wolf to hold her upright.

Ruby's lips moved across her neck and sucked gently when she felt Belle's hurried pulse beneath her lips. Belle hummed, eyes slipping shut. "You should go eat some cookies," she whispered.

Ruby grinned and scraped teeth over the sensitive flesh. "Why would I do that? My mouth likes this so much better."

Belle giggled and clamped her shoulder and neck together, nudging her lover's face from the area. "Because I wish to see my daughter, and 30 more seconds of that will have me taking you back to bed," Belle explained around the strain of her arousal.

Her back arched when Ruby's fingers tickled down her belly, stopping just short of her slit. "Ruby," she moaned and wrapped an arm behind the wolf's neck. Brown eyes peeped over shoulders, a satisfied smirk spreading as she watched Belle's large nipples harden and wrinkle instantly.

"Will you wear this one?" She pointed to a blue sun dress. "It's the first dress we bought you after Emma rescued you from the mines. Do you remember?" Belle nodded, hair tickling Ruby's cheek. "The first time I saw you in this dress, I went straight up stupid. I knew I had to have you even though I'd never been with a woman before."

Belle smiled up at her, and Ruby pressed their lips together. "Your black leather pants. You wore them to work the second day I knew you. I drank three glasses of iced tea. You wore black leather pants and the red, baggy shirt, and that black hat with the big rim."

Ruby rolled her eyes at her childish outfit. "I remember," she groaned.

"The iced tea was good, but your ass in those pants was better. I may have had acted a bit daft in order to prolong my stay," Belle confessed sheepishly. Ruby craned her neck to catch those big blue eyes. Belle shrugged. "I'd always been aroused by women. It simply wasn't practiced or well-known in The Enchanted Forest, so I never knew how to label it."

"Go eat a cookie," she urged and bumped Ruby with her butt as she detangled herself from those deliciously long arms.

"Fine, but don't yell if you don't get any," Ruby huffed in mock indignation and moped to the kitchen while Belle dressed. "Hey, she made chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin."

"Because oatmeal raisin is my favorite," Belle muttered and pulled the dress from the hanger.

"I heard that, and I know that," Ruby called from the kitchenette. Belle pictured her silently sassing the presumption that she hadn't known her favorite cookie and smiled.

Her stomach lurched suddenly at the thought of cinnamon anything, and she tossed the dress on the bed and rushed towards the bathroom. She winced, knowing Ruby's ears picked up every tiny sound, especially when she focused solely on her movement anyway. She quickly turned on the sink faucet and held back her hair as her stomach emptied of acid and bits of her sandwich into the toilet.

Thoroughly emptied, she flushed the toilet and rinsed her mouth. She'd not imagined telling Ruby like this. When she returned to the bedroom, Ruby remained in the kitchen and thankfully quiet about her nausea. She dressed quickly, slipping into black pumps. Regina had borrowed the blues ones she'd bought to match the dress. They'd do, she decided.

"Ruby, we need to talk about something else before we go," she called and rounded the doorway hesitantly.

All thoughts of conversation ceased when she found Ruby on the floor unconscious. The door stood open, though she'd closed it, and a man with a gun trained on her filled the space. Belle reached for the Earth a moment before she remembered her heart remained in her lover's chest. She raised her hands instead.

"Eat a cookie," he ordered.

Belle shook her head, hands wrapping around her stomach unconsciously. "I'll go with you willingly. Tie me up."

He grinned and tossed her a roll of duct tape. With a shaking breath, she attach the end to the wall and stretched the roll into the bedroom. She heard him move, felt the gun at her back as she stepped into the sticky tape and twirled until she reached the door frame, effectively trapping her arms at her sides.

He grabbed the roll and wrapped her body until satisfied that she'd not break free. He taped Ruby's hands and ankles together. A clattering outside caught his attention. He jerked the small dagger from Ruby's belt, the identical ones that she'd bought everyone and insisted they carried just in case. Belle sent a silent prayer up that he continued to ignore Rumpel's dagger.

"Ruby, Granny said you were up here," Amelia's voice called. Footsteps sprinted towards the door.

"Amelia, watch out!" Belle yelled, but her warning came a moment too late.

Amelia rounded the corner and ran directly into the knife. He thrust violently and hummed as blood spilled onto his hand. Amelia gasped, panting in pain as her arm slid around his shoulder instinctively to keep herself from falling. He lowered her to the floor slowly. Blood spurted around the blade still in the wound.

Her glassy brown eyes fought to remain open. She smiled at Belle, happy to see her despite the situation. His face filled her vision.

"Why Jacob?"


	35. Merrick

Here ye be, My Doves. Thank you for the reviews. It truly brightens my day to know my hobby brings joy to others.

Enjoy!

Songs: We Made a Pact by Hey Rosetta!

* * *

"Ruby, wake up," Belle whispered and glanced around the dim cellar.

Ruby groaned, winced, sucked a harsh breath through clenched teeth. Her shoulders ached, and she whimpered when the arms attached refused to obey her commands; something held them above her head. One eye cracked, finding dim and noninvasive light, so she opened the other one a slit.

"Ruby, are you okay?" Belle's voice quivered with fear, and Ruby forced her eyes to focus and search the room for her lover.

A goofy smile appeared on her face. "You came back," she murmured, eyes closing blissfully.

Belle screeched in frustration, and Ruby's eyes flew open again, her mind suddenly more alert. "Why do my arms hurt?" Belle's blue eyes flicked upwards and then back to hers.

"You're hanging from the ceiling by your wrists," Belle explained wryly, almost amused by their situation.

Ruby laughed and then winced, gasping for air. Belle hadn't a clue how long Ruby took waking, but her feet had gone to sleep in her heels a while ago. She begrudgingly stepped out of them to the cold dirt floor when she bore it no longer. She leaned against the wall, her hands attached to a ring with a chain and shackles.

Ruby hung in the middle of the room on a hook screwed into the ceiling, her legs still taped together. Her feet swayed a few inches above the floor. Her wolf strength became absolutely useless in the position. If she pulled, she'd only raise herself without gaining any leverage to yank the hook from the block ceiling.

"What happened?" Ruby asked groggily. She licked her lips and tried to produce enough spit to moisten her throat.

"The cookies were drugged. Jacob is apparently a psychopath," Belle summed, wishing to be close enough to feel Ruby skin. If they died today, she wanted to die feeling her lover one last time.

"Jacob?" Ruby's face twisted as another cramp locked onto her shoulder muscles. "That kid who has been following Katy around like a love sick puppy?" Ruby panted again, wiggling on the hook. A foggy mist prevented her mind from accepting and feeling the reality of the situation like a ship lost in the Bermuda Triangle. The facts went into her brain but computed no resulting emotions or thoughts.

Belle swallowed her tears and held her chin high. Magic failed her. Her skills as a warrior failed her, but Belle hunkered down, stapling the ends of her frayed emotions to the floor. Determination swelled, and she knew she'd not fail Ruby as a woman or a partner. Whatever Jacob planned for them, she hardened herself for the long haul.

The remote location gave her pause, but the table of medical instruments he uncovered before leaving her to watch her lover's unconscious body sway a few feet away excited her adrenaline painfully. She understood the scare tactic for what it was, but without being told specifically, Belle's big brain flushed out the intent perfectly. Come morning, Ruby's blood would cover this floor.

A strained puff of air slammed the door on those thought, and Belle focused on her lover's pained face. "Is it difficult to breathe?"

Ruby nodded and coughed. "Belle, use your life force… to cast a spell. Get out while you can." Exposure to Belle's power helped her understand life forces, and she contained enough magic for one teleport without a passenger.

"Ruby Lucas, you look at me. Right now," Belle demanded, voice raw and hollow from emotion. Ruby met her gaze with hooded eyes, head still hung between her shoulders. "I'm not leaving you ever again," Belle said, the meaning reaching far deeper than this moment. In her mind, however, she confessed the real reason. Ruby shouldn't find out like this.

"Touching," Jacob interrupted from the top of the stairs where he sat watching the interaction, cheek propped on his fist in boredom.

"We'll make it through, Ruby. We always do," Belle whispered, the words for her wolf ears alone.

Jacob descended the stairs and removed his button up shirt slowly, revealing defined arms and shoulders. A thin white tank top hid the muscles rippling beneath the flimsy fabric. His boyish face smiled between them, and Belle fought the urge to puke.

"I'm glad you're awake, Red," he said and hung his shirt on the back of the solitary chair in the room, adjusting it until he felt it laid perfectly symmetrical.

Instead of sitting, he adjusted the surgical instruments on the table, his toys, examining each one for spots before returning it to the perfect position. "Let me tell you a story," he said, his tone telling them they got it whether they wanted it or not.

"A tale of three brothers," he continued with a flourish and approached the gently swaying wolf. "Three orphans who did their best to stick together. The eldest became a healer in a nobleman's home. Though considered the most accomplished, the man was a coward, meek, unworthy. He spent his life seeking the approval of those stationed above him instead of rising to the task of taking their power and wealth and using it to his advantage.

"The youngest was abandoned at the age of eight. A few years later he was forced into the service of The Queen's army. She cared very little of age as long as his arm remained strong enough to swing a sword."

He paused and cut her black camisole up the center, snipping the tiny straps last. The shirt fabric fell away, and Belle gritted her teeth against the sight of Ruby's naked breasts and torso a few inches from their captor. Ruby met her eyes, and Belle held the gaze, determined to see this through.

"The middle brother, a fool hearted klutz of a boy, found work as a blacksmith's apprentice. He foolishly fell in love with the only girl sewn up tighter than her sister's pussy," he tossed his head towards Belle. "But he loved his little brother, took care of him."

The women simply stared at each other. Ruby knew this story, and tears rolled down her cheeks. "Peter was your brother," she panted. Panic grew when the feeble attempts at deep breaths failed, literally hitting a blockage in her lungs caused by the weight of her body pulling on her diaphragm.

He punched her ribs, exacerbating her breathing problem, and grabbed her chin to force her eyes from Belle's. "You don't get to say his name," he seethed through clenched teeth. Belle tucked the momentary loss of control to the back of her mind for later use.

Jacob pushed her away roughly. She gasped and swayed. The detour from torture gave her mind time to clear the mist of drug delirium. Jacob caressed his toys thoughtfully, lovingly before choosing a scalpel.

"He was more than a brother. He was everything to me. He's the only person in this world who ever cared about me," he explained, but his tone directly contradicted the tender words. He felt nothing. Between his harsh childhood and time served in Regina's army, they'd created the sociopath that terrorized them for months.

Ruby whimpered and broke eye contact with her lover to study his face. "Merrick, I'm so sorry."

"Don't call me that!" He raged, lashing out with the scalpel. A thin line of blood appeared on Ruby's belly.

Ruby released a harsh breath, inhaled as best she could. "We were going to take you with us. Did he tell you that?" Her eyes clamped shut against the burning pain. The scalpel only sliced the first few layers, but it burn and itched. Belle squeaked and flinched but resisted the urge to turn her head. Ruby found her eyes and forced air into her lungs.

The skin around his eye twitched at her words. Ruby believed for a moment she'd gotten through to him. He ran a thumb along the wound and sucked the blood from the digit. "Do you think it will turn me?" Ruby's brow furrowed. It might have.

"Do you think if I drink enough I can do to her tonight what you did to him?" He asked, a giddy lilt in his voice. Ruby's heart broke, more tears spilled onto her face. All of this pain he'd caused because she hadn't known she was a wolf.

"Please, Jacob, it was an accident. I didn't know. I think about him everyday. I loved him," Ruby whispered, and Belle dropped her gaze for exactly one second. How Ruby felt in the past didn't matter, she reminded herself.

The cold, sharp steel trailed between her breasts without cutting. His fingertips followed. "I had a crush on you, ya know. A stupid school boy crush on the prettiest girl in the village." He laughed hollowly at himself.

A hand trailed up her side, and she found Belle's eyes a second before it covered her breast. "I watched you once. With him. In the woods." Hot lips wrapped around her nipple, sucking and nipping.

Her chin quivered, and Belle swallowed roughly, fighting her own tears. Her body betrayed her as the tiny pink bud hardened beneath his attention. A shiver of disgust shook her body, and he smiled against the small mound of supple flesh.

"You spread yourself so wide for him with only that ridiculous red cape separating your beautiful body from the ground," he whispered against her skin.

Fingertips trailed down her belly and hooked on the waist of her jeans as he lavished her breasts with the attention he'd always wanted to give them. His lust for the wolf ran parallel to his anger. He'd always desired her, always wanted her since that day. Dreamed constantly of fucking her until her juices ran dry and she begged him to stop. He never stopped in his fantasies, not until she bled from the rawness in her abused hole.

She jerked involuntarily when the bulge of his erection pressed against her knee. Without considering the implications of her actions, she bent her knees and pulled them up, using her strength to perform an abdominal crunch while upright.

She wanted to be satisfied that her sense of self-preservation aimed so accurately, but the cold rage in his eyes told her that she'd only exacerbated the situation. Though he staggered from the danger zone with a cry of pain, his anger didn't flare like most. It deepened his focus, calculated his next move more sharply. With a gimp in his step, he snagged the revolver from the table and emptied all the bullets. All except one.

"Let's see how long it takes you to kill your lover now," he laid out the rules of the game. Ruby's eyes flashed to Belle's a second before he spun the chamber and pulled the trigger. A snap of the firing pin hitting the solid metal of the gun echoed on the walls.

Belle whimpered and flinched, eyes closed against what could have been a gun shot wound. "Stop, please," Belle pleaded, her fear showing clearly.

"Oh come on, do better than that," he taunted her, but she shook her head still facing to the side. He smiled and readjusted himself in his cargo pants. Violent fingers grabbed her chin and forced her face to point forward. His hard body slid over the much softer flesh of Ruby's lover.

"The rules are simply, Red," he explained, enjoying the quiver of the smaller body beneath his. Hot breath puffed on Belle's face as he spoke. "Since you can't behave, every time you attack me or cry out, I'm going to fire this at Belle. Are you ready to play?"

Fingertips dug into Belle's hip, pulling a whimper from her throat. They trailed up her side and covered her much larger breast. He hummed and hid his face in her neck, practically dry humping her pelvis as her fear washed over him.

"Get your hands off her, you little bastard!" Ruby yelled and struggled against the restraints. She accomplished nothing aside from making her body sway and her breath come in shorter gasps.

The barrel of the gun jabbed Belle's temple, and another click echoed in the musty cellar. Belle's flinched. Ruby's eye widened. She wasn't supposed to say anything? Nothing at all. He forced her to watch everything and knew she would because if Belle opened her eyes, she wanted nothing but hers to fill her gaze. She bit the inside of her jaw and waited for him to finish assaulting her fiancée. He grew bored quickly when she refused him protests.

With a huff, he deposited the gun on the tray and picked up what appeared to be some sort of homemade devices for electrocution. He plugged a wire into an old outlet that should have been a fire hazard and brushed the two pads together, creating sparks. An evil smirk spread, and bile jumped up Ruby's throat. Setting them on the dirt floor, he donned rubber gloves and glanced at Belle.

"Any words of encouragement? You know, clichés or inspirational phrases?" He asked Belle sardonically and grabbed a bucket in the corner. "It is your joints being shot out," he said with a shrug and then tossed the bucket. Ruby gasped as the ice cold water covered her, hardening her nipples and pimpling her flesh. Violent shivers and chattering teeth followed.

"Yes," Belle whispered and caught Ruby's gaze. She smiled genuinely and searched Ruby's eyes. "I'm pregnant with your child."

Before continuing, she paused for a moment and allowed those words to sink into Ruby's brain. "That day at the youth center… when Emma gave us her magic, she never linked it to sex, only the readiness in our hearts. That's why I had to leave, Ruby. I felt our child conceived that day, I just didn't know it."

Ruby's mouth fell open, and then a wide, brilliant smile spread. "Really?" Tears of a different kind dripped onto her cheeks. She sniffed, but the smile returned immediately, pushing her cheeks past their threshold. "You had to leave to believe," she whispered.

Belle nodded. "I took a pregnancy test the day before I left. That's why I made the decision. I couldn't give up on us, Ruby. I couldn't lose another child, especially one we made with True Love. It only works if we never lose faith in each other." Belle wiped her wet face on her shoulder and released a wet, gasping laugh.

Despite the situation, shared joy swelled in their chests, a result of their combined hearts. Ruby froze with icy fear. They were linked. If she died, Belle died, too. They joined their lifelines by leaving both hearts in one chest. Belle sensed her thoughts and nodded encouragingly.

Yellow flashed in Ruby's eyes. "I'll get us through," she vowed. "I love you."

The sparking brushes touched her sides before she adequately prepared, and she bit her lip in an effort to remain silent. As quickly as the jolting sensation came, it left her panting quietly. He grinned up at her, enjoying his game. Flickering brown eyes closed, and she summoned her wolf strength and tolerance.

She held her breath and braced against the second brush of the wire pads against her belly.


	36. To Hell

Thanks for the reviews! Enjoy!

Song: Going to Hell by The Pretty Reckless

* * *

Katy held Lauren's uninjured hand and quietly seethed. She'd promised Eva that she'd stay with Lauren until she finished saving "Amelia's idiot life," but the inactivity of her body for the past week finally drove her to fidget. Now, that she'd snapped from the hopelessness of situation, she itched for action. Emma rounded the corner in time to see her stand.

"Sit," she ordered and crossed her arms over her chest, standing between her and the exit.

Katy glared defiantly. Emma raised an amused eyebrow, and her daughter conceded to her wishes. She snagged Lauren's hand again and plopped into the uncomfortable chair. She hated hospitals. Emma turned sideways to keep both her and the hallway in her peripheral vision while studying Lauren's gaunt face and thinned body in the hospital bed. She'd not been starved but hadn't escaped completely unscathed either.

"I want to see Ben," Katy demanded.

"Too fucking bad, Kid. You already beat him to pulp. Regina's with him now." Emma's voice slid up her spine. The dark, dangerous tone had never been directed towards her.

"She's going to kill him," Katy warned Emma. A slice of panic filled her heart at the thought of losing him, and she tamed it with a reminder of how he'd abused her and nearly killed her entire family. The paradox left her aching for one of Belle's brainy ejaculations of facts about the psychology behind abusive relationships.

Emma nodded, a small grin on her thin lips. "I know."

"What," the girl sputtered. "How can you be okay with this?"

Emma rubbed the back of her neck and met her daughter's watery hazel eyes. "Because I don't think I can, Kid, or I'd do it myself."

Katy's eyes fell to Lauren's hand in hers. The almost unconscious woman squeezed lightly, comforting her. Bile rose in her throat like water slowly filling a limp garden hose, and she swallowed roughly. The comfort given so freely fell onto an undeserving heart. It made her sick, made her want to go fall on her sword somewhere.

"I'm not a kid," Katy protested quietly, not really believing the words anymore. Why else would they protect her so fiercely after what she'd done?

"Yes, you are," Regina's smooth, deep voice contradicted as she materialized in the room. "And I didn't kill him, not yet." She held up a darkened heart, squeezing a bit for the fun of it.

"Who is doing this, Regina?" Emma asked and touched Regina's shoulder.

Regina softened and tossed the heart onto the wheeled table beside the bed. Her arms wrapped around Emma's neck, and the blonde pulled her close with loving hands on her waist. Regina took a moment to simply feel this Emma and everything she offered. She loved The Queen as much as she desired the tender lover, and the heady rush of unconditional acceptance tore through her veins, a natural love potion drawing her to her wife like two magnets.

"It's Jacob," she said with a glance towards Katy. "He doesn't know where they've been taken. Amelia's tracking potions aren't working. So, there's still a possibility that Caleb is working with them."

A small whimper vibrated the back of the girl's throat, and she lowered her face to the bed. Her shoulders shook silently, and Regina gritted her teeth. She wanted blood on her hands almost as much as she previously wanted Snow White's suffering. Katy was just a girl, a stupid, silly 16-year-old who got caught up in the rush of what probably began as a first love that turned out terribly. Boys her age rarely saw the beauty behind the fierceness of girls like her. Easy pickings was what Ben saw. Never again, Regina vowed.

The only other guy who had ever given her any type of attention actually orchestrated the trauma she suffered. Regina shook with the acidic rage ripping through her heart. Now offered inappropriate timing, but Regina intended to help Katy with her own life as example. She'd only been a little over a year older than Katy when she'd been forced into marriage to the king. Rumpel deceived her, too, by offering pretty words of affection when he actually only wanted power and control of her magic. She refused to allow her daughter to become hardened the way she had.

Emma stepped into Regina's body and folded her arms around her waist and hips. "You'll find them, Baby. I've seen what you can do. I have faith in you." And then idiotic, brave, big-hearted Emma Swan erased the harsh touch of her demanding mentor, of her seemingly perfect husband who wore a face of a demon in her dreams.

Regina pressed a kiss behind her ear. "I hope so, Darling." She'd not doubted her own abilities in such a long time. Her pretty production of redemption and lightness tainted the confidence she once held in such high esteem for her darker notions.

"Do you really believe I had something to do with this?" A male voice asked almost childishly from the hallway.

The women parted as if some unseen force ripped them backwards. Regina retreated to Katy's side and placed a protective hand on the girl's shoulder while Emma pulled the knife at her hip. Caleb's face fell, chin hitting his chest. A bunch of flowers dangled from his fingertips.

"I'll take that as a yes," he murmured, voice wet and thick with tears. "Is Amelia going to make it?" He glanced up at the unsure faces of the women she'd forsaken him for in order to protect. That's why she'd been so distant, non-existent really, for the past couple weeks.

Emma and Regina shared a look as the man knelt on one knee beneath the emotions in his heart and cried. He hid his face in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably. Sociopaths can't fake that sort of grief, could they? Emma conceded to Regina's guidance.

"Get up, you fool," Regina ordered and stepped into the hallway.

His wet face raised to hers, but he remained kneeling in the middle of the hall with a dozen sets of eyes watching his emotional display. "I didn't hurt anyone. My father was a wizard, but my mother had no magical abilities. I didn't inherit any, so he taught me how to mix potions instead." He explained his ability to mix potions and his love of it.

"Take my heart," he blurted and presented his chest, spit flying and glistening on his lips.

Regina obliged. It pulsed a bright, beautiful pink, the heart of a pure soul. He'd never hurt anyone in his life. The different emotions banged against Regina's hand, and she closed her eyes, focusing on them. Hatred never surfaced. A hint of anger at her past misdeeds. A healthy amount of respect for her redemption. Tentative attachment and a hint of love for her role in Amelia's life, which saved her from death by stoning and gave her a real opportunity to develop her skills.

She returned the heart and touched the huge man's shoulder. "Get up, Caleb," she said more gently. He nodded and staggered into the room behind her.

He smiled sadly at Lauren who watched the interaction with curiosity from her bed. His huge, beefy, calloused hand held up the delicate flowers. "I brought you flowers," came the explanation. He wiped his face with the other hand, squinted at the heart on the table, but said nothing further.

"You didn't bring Amelia any?" Lauren asked and accepted the flowers now that Regina deemed the man non-threatening.

Emma grinned and slipped an arm around Regina's waist. Was there nothing her wife couldn't do? She just gave a man his life back, at least in connection to theirs, and when Amelia woke up, her life became happy and wonderful again.

Caleb shook his head. "Allergies." He pulled a small notebook from his back pocket and caressed it lovingly. "Ideas for potions. This will make her feel better than flowers and distract her from the pain. We started it after her apartment blew up and just never really stopped."

"Is that where the wolf transformation potion came from?" Emma asked, reminding everyone of the massacre.

Caleb nodded sadly. They'd not asked Amelia yet because of her guilt surrounding the incident. "She wanted to make sure it worked before she made one for Belle. She's a little obsessed with mending the rift with Ruby."

The energy in the room plummeted like a boulder in their stomachs. They had no way of finding Ruby and Belle. Anger washed into Emma, rolling from her lover in waves. Caleb glanced around at all the solemn faces of the family he wished to join.

"Call Jack," Emma offered as the jolt of inspiration struck, hoping to bring some initiative to the group. "He's a wolf, right? Granny's senses have faded, but Jack's younger. Maybe he can track them. I have his number." She fished his phone from her pocket and handed it to Regina.

Regina glared at the device as though she'd just offered a her a poisoned apple. Emma rolled her eyes. "Don't be like that. Ruby isn't going to be personally offended if you ask her father for help. Why can't you people just get the hell over shit?" She griped and dialed the man's number.

Her shoulders hit the wall suddenly, Regina's body following and sliding deliciously over her front. "You're a genius, my Darling," she whispered against her lips and then left Emma gasping for air as she grabbed the phone and clicked out of the room.

A commotion in the hall met Regina, and Emma lurched forward. "Regina, you cannot do this. You are the Head of the Council. You are a role model for everyone, which should be more important than upholding the laws of this town. Which, if I might add, condemn torture and murder." a woman Emma had yet to meet chided the huffy royal.

"Yes, Jack, I'll meet you there in a few minutes. Thank you," Regina spoke into the phone and then tossed it over her shoulder, having heard Emma stumble to the door. The blonde scrambled to keep the phone from busting on the floor.

Regina's council members stood before her in a semi-circle, her mother included. "What would this person's verdict be? Guilty? Death? I'm simply expediting the process," Regina reasoned. A few members grinned surreptitiously. "Is it the title that bothers you, Dear?" She asked the frustrated woman. She looked like a nun, Emma decided.

"As a member of this council and a spiritual leader in this community, I must insist you reconsider your decision to track this boy and murder him in cold blood," the woman said. Regina scoffed.

"Need I remind you that you obtained your title of Mother Superior through a curse?" Regina sniped. Ah, she was a nun.

The woman threw her hands in air and screeched, "A curse you cast!" She sputtered, looking her fellow council folks before her gaze settled on Emma. "Savior, you have no objections to this course of action?"

Emma stepped forward and stood beside Regina. "I'm sorry. Who the hell are you? I don't quite remember. Oh that's right, this little bastard rigged my car to explode and I lost all memory of the life I apparently worked my ass off to have. Soooo… no, I don't really have any objections to this course of action. Regina's protected us this far. I trust her, and I will follow her to hell if that's what it takes to get Ruby back."

Snow glowed with pride, a wide smile on her face. Regina removed that ridiculous pendant from her neck and tossed it to Mary Margaret. "There," she decided. "I'm not in charge anymore. Isn't Snow White the ultimate moral compass to you people? What should we do, Snow?" Regina asked prettily, batting her lashes at the other woman.

The pixie-haired woman grinned and slipped the necklace over her head. "Kick his ass, My Queen," she used the title pointedly, making a fantastic statement of her own.

Blue sputtered, blanching immediately. Regina pushed through the crowd and clicked down the hallway. The pure power washing over them paralyzed her with arousal, respect, reverence, perhaps a hint of fear. A quick check told her it intoxicated everyone else, too.

"Regina, please! Your soul!" the woman tried as a last ditch effort to stop this.

Regina touched her forehead in a passing graze without looking back. "Forgive me, father," she muttered facetiously and turned the sacrilegious gesture into a snap of her fingers above her head. Her outfit changed instantly, but her stride never faltered during the entire sassy display of defiance.

Her heels gave way to black riding boots that reached her knees atop black riding pants. A black and red flowing jacket replaced her dress. The click of her pumps became thumps of pissed of witch in her battle uniform. Emma watched breathlessly for a moment while others gasped and cowered in Regina's wake. She suspected the outfit one The Evil Queen favored.

"I married that woman," she murmured, still unmoving.

"Emma," Snow caught her attention gently. She jerked her head towards the pissy royal when Emma tore her eyes from Regina and met hers. "Go. She needs you to temper her darkness," she whispered.

Emma nodded, finally understanding her role as savior. She wasn't meant to hold Regina back but guide her moral compass, keep her treading the darkness within. Her lightness served as Regina's life preserver. Emma nodded again and pointed towards Lauren's hospital room.

"Ben's heart is chillin' on the table in there. Keep an eye on it and Katy for me?" She asked hesitantly, unsure if her mother willing to protect her granddaughter.

"Of course," Mary Margaret exclaimed instantly. "I'll not let her out of my sight until you return." She desperately yearned the reconnection with Emma, and if she required eyes on the unpredictable teenager, then that's where she intended to be.

Emma took off after Regina without another word. "Emma!" Snow called, and the blonde stopped as Regina rounded the corner. "You might need this," she explained and handed Emma her service weapon, already anticipating this outcome.

"Thanks," Emma breathed and jogged after Regina.

The second her hand slid into her wife's, they flew apart in magical transport. Their strides continued during their reappearance on the sidewalk outside the library. Emma almost jerked in surprise to find the first brushstrokes of twilight painting the light blue sky. Regina laced their fingers together and pulled them to a halt as Jack's old truck backfired and stuttered but brought him to his destination.

Her dark gaze met Granny's across the street and beyond the barrier still in place. David appeared behind the woman and placed supportive hands on her shoulders, telling them that he took care of business within and that to a degree, he and Snow planned the confrontation with The Council. She nodded once, and Granny returned it, clutching her great-granddaughter tighter. She whispered something in Alex's ear, and the girl gave Emma and Regina an awkward thumbs up signal. They smiled and returned it, letting the girl know they'd fix everything.

"Hey," Jack greeted and jogged to them. "Ruby's been taken?"

Regina nodded and almost sighed as the familiar flash of yellow ignited in his chocolate brown eyes, Ruby's eyes. "As far as we can tell, Jacob left out the back door of the library. Perhaps start there," she offered helpfully.

Jack shook his head. "No need. He didn't cover his tracks like he had with Lauren." Emma and Regina started. "What? I wasn't going to sit back and let that girl suffer if I could find her. Ruby loves her, which makes her important to me."

He took off in a brisk walk, his tan work boots thumping angrily against the cracked concrete. The duo surged forward as one unit, stretching their strides in order to keep up with the pissed off wolf ahead of them. Emma glanced at Regina, soaking up her anger and fear. Her dark eyes focused on the man tracking their best friends, face void of emotion.

"I want you to kill him," she whispered, but Jack's shoulders recoiled at the words. He maintain the frantic pace without glancing over his shoulders, however, giving them the privacy they would have had not for his sensitive ears. Fucking wolves.

"I intend to," Regina answered coldly, uncaring of Jack's unintentional eavesdropping.

"You didn't kill Ben," Emma countered, unsure why the man remained alive.

Regina grinned wickedly and met her eyes, free hand touching her chest lightly. "That wasn't his heart I left in Lauren's room."


	37. Hell

Thank you for the reviews, My Sweets!

Enjoy!

Songs: And We Run by Within Temptation, You Always Believed by In This Moment

* * *

"Distract me," Ruby rasped.

Belle raised her head from where she'd been silently crying against her arm. She adjusted the position of the shackles above her head and allowed her wrists to take the weight of her arms. For the first time in perhaps her entire life, not one solitary useless fact flitted through her mind. Anger grew at her helplessness. If she called on her life force, she risked harming their baby in her belly, and now her mind failed her, too. Disgust at her shortcomings swelled.

"I think this might be the first time since I first picked up a book as a child that I have absolutely no thoughts in my head," Belle voiced her frustration. At least she responded, she reminded herself.

Ruby chuckled, coughed, swallowed audibly. "This might be the first time my wolf has been absolutely useless." She wheezed and gasped for breath, and Belle averted her gaze from her lover's suffering. Ruby wouldn't last much longer if he left her hanging. She was slowly suffocating to death, but not once did she cry out. She protected her and their baby.

"Tell me… about Belle… Gunness," Ruby gasped, too tired to raise her eyes to Belle's anymore.

Belle snorted, a sad smile spreading. "I actually misinformed you. She wasn't the first woman hung, that was Lavinia Fisher. Gunness was never found," Belle corrected her very rare mistake.

Ruby cracked a smile without looking up. "Not like you," she whispered.

"It these damn pregnancy hormones. My thoughts get scrambled. You know what is absolutely, disgustingly intolerable? Licking the glue on envelopes. Never have I even paused to consider it before. Now the thought makes me sick," Belle ranted. The words flowed, so she allowed them to push Ruby's lips into a bigger smile.

"Elizabeth," Ruby chuckled.

"For a girl?" The wolf nodded. "Elizabeth Brunetta?" Ruby's brow furrowed. "My mother's name. She swore it absolutely vulgar in its pomposity and wanted her daughters to have simple yet beautiful names. Mine is both simple and literally means beautiful."

"Love it," Ruby consented to the name. She'd spent the last ten minutes of the first torture session thinking of names, but the only one that popped into her brain was her grandmother's.

Belle leaned her hot cheek on her arm and smiled up at her lover. "I thought a lot about what to name him if he turns out to be a boy. We've got to get some guys in our family. The girl power is wonderful, but poor Henry is totally alone." She laughed, and Ruby snorted.

"Daniel," Belle said softly, trusting her sensitive ears. "If Regina consents. I doubt she and Emma will have anymore children, and I think it's important to remember everyone we've lost. That, and I want her to know that I've truly forgiven her."

Ruby raised her head, meeting her gaze. Tears shimmered in those beautiful brown eyes. A glimmer of hope and determination rose beneath the salty droplets. "Daniel Peter."

Belle smile through a short, wet laugh. "Poor boy will have three first names," she poked lightheartedly. A twinge in her heart stole the momentary relief, and her gaze dropped.

"Do you ever compare me to him?" She asked and then immediately wished to take the words back. Peter and Red experienced something far different from her and Rumpel. Had the wolf not taken over that night, she and Ruby would never have stood a chance. In her heart, the nagging dread in the back of her mind told her that she and Rumpel were destined for disaster from the start, probably because she'd identified with him to avoid punishment.

"Don't," Ruby warned, her voice harsh and hollow and raspy.

Belle dropped her gaze again. "I'm sorry. That's not fair."

"Don't," Ruby repeated and shook her head. "You're it, Belle. He loved a girl." Ruby puffed and growled in frustration. "You love a woman. I was innocent to him." Puff. Gasp. "Something to be protected. You…"

"I love the darkness you were born with," Belle finished, and Ruby nodded. "I always will, Ruby. You're the perfect paradox, and I get to spend the rest of my life figuring you out. A dark soul with a pure heart."

Belle's chin quivered when Ruby's head dropped again. She felt the despair, ghosts of the physical pain her lover endured. They were linked, and no matter how far she teleported, that simple fact remained. She'd rather die right here, if this day indeed had decided that.

"Do you think Regina and Emma have found Am… a mention of our absence?" She mercifully spared Ruby of that knowledge. Amelia probably bled to death on the floor of the loft while Jacob forced her to his SUV in the middle of the day across the street from Granny's.

Ruby nodded, too exhausted or pained to detect the tiny slip. "They'll come." Ruby shifted on the hook. Silence stretched. Ruby wheezed. Belle prayed. Crickets outside the cellar chirped and sang.

"I always knew he was different, Jacob," Ruby broke the tiny creatures' symphony. "He was an odd child."

"A psychopath?" Belle asked, and Ruby nodded. "Not all of them become killers. Had his childhood been normal, he may never have taken a single life. He seems incredibly sophisticated, and I imagine if you spoke with other soldiers in his unit, they'll confirm stories of undue cruelty to captives or overkill on the battlefield. He's had practice, though his methodology is still all over the place."

Ruby's brow furrowed again, so Belle continued, "Usually a pattern emerges, a signature, but aside from The Council and you, he's stuck with fire, explosives. He's experienced, but he's still searching for what motivates him sexually. I think he found it when he cut you."

Ruby raised her head again. "I'm really sorry that you know all of that."

Belle shrugged and adjusted her hands above her head again, trying to stimulate blood flow. "I'm sorry that I know half of what I know. Knowledge of the world is powerful, but sometimes understanding the people in that world chills me to my bones." She met Ruby's eyes.

"He won't stop after you. You do know that right? He's finally found his sexual release, and he will not stop. So, if you have some moronic notion of martyrdom, dismiss it immediately," she schooled her lover on the inner workings of serial killers.

Ruby hummed. "I'm not a martyr," she ground out. Anger flared, her wolf, her comfort, her very own doppelganger of which she remained constantly aware.

"Ruby, what are you doing?" Belle demanded.

Ruby raised her head and grinned. "Not being a martyr." She grabbed the chain attached to her shackle with her left hand and jerked violently.

She bit back a cry of pain to whimper so as not to alert their resident psychopath. Her right hand rested near the hook, and her lungs finally filled with a deep breath. Belle held her own as Ruby simply breathed deeply for a few moments. She glanced up and wiggled the shackle on her right wrist until the edge caught on the hook.

With bulging veins, she lifted her entire weight in a one arm pull-up with her left hand, taking the pressure from her right wrist. Her right hand freed, ripping ruined flesh from her wrist. Trembling fingers wrapped around the neck of the hook, and she switched the weight to her right hand, using the left to pull the chain free of the huge meat hook.

Belle gasped when she dropped to the floor on wobbling legs. She used the clasp of the shackle to cut the tape around her legs. The shaking limbs gave out once finally free, and Ruby caught herself on hands and knees. She laughed, puffing dirt from the floor onto her naked chest. Blood rushed to her arms, pulsing sharp aches into the joints of her fingers and wrist.

"Dumb bastard, don't you know you can't contain a wolf during wolf's time," Ruby mocked their tormentor.

She pushed herself upright and staggered to Belle, catching herself on her lover's voluptuous hips. "Hi," she said.

"Hi," Belle returned and accepted Ruby's lips against her own.

The chains of the shackles clanked against each other. Ruby grabbed the chain, tapped her wolf, and yanked. Dust and chunks of mortar and concrete spilled over them, coating their hair and bodies in chalky particles. They smiled at each other and met for another kiss, rolling aching numb shoulders.

Ruby disappeared quickly and snagged the gun from the table, ignoring the fact that the next pull of the trigger may have killed her lover. Belle accepted its weight in one hand and her lovers in the other. The shackles remained for Regina's magical fingers when they reached town.

Adrenaline surged as they moved as one unit towards the stairs. Ruby growled in frustration when they hit an invisible barrier at the bottom of the stairs. She dropped Belle's hand and pounded the sides of her fists on the invisible wall. A howl ripped from her throat and echoed in the environment outside.

A dark chuckle bounced back from the top of the stairs. "That was a lot faster than I anticipated. Beat that thing all you want. You won't break Amelia's potion. I can come and go, sort of like Emma can leave town without consequence, but you, alas, must remain within."

"How about bullets?" Belle stepped in front of Ruby and pulled the trigger.

Jacob fell away with a cry of pain, blood oozing from his shoulder. He scrambled from the entrance like a crab with a broken pincher and fell to the ground to hold his shoulder. "You shot me, you crazy bitch!"

Belle bristled. "Seriously, Merrick? You're holding us hostage and playing Russian Roulette with my body, and we're crazy? It's no wonder Peter abandoned you!" She aimed the words towards his heart, the one thing she knew riled him, and held the gun steady. Angry people blurred to sloppy people.

His head peeped over the side and then disappeared immediately after glimpsing the gun. Ruby stared at her partner in shock and awe. Belle knew exactly which buttons to stomp, tapping her own psychopathy. Her genius often intimated an emotional disconnect from the world and the people in it, but Ruby knew differently. She understood Belle processed emotions through facts and theories and words rather than emotions.

Emotions were her department.

"Belle, are you okay to watch the door? I'm going to try and get my shackles off," Ruby explained. Belle nodded and settled into a wide stance with her forearms resting against her hips, muscles tensed and relaxed at the same time.

Ruby stumbled to the table, instruments clattering as she caught herself on the rickety table. Belle rolled her eyes. "Sit down and do it."

"I'm fine," she protested, not sure she'd be able to stand again if she rested her weary body.

"Ruby Elizabeth Lucas, sit your ass down. You just endured at least 45 minutes of electrocution without making a peep aside from heavy breathing to keep a gun from being fired at me. I'm pregnant, not an invalid. It's my turn to keep you safe. So sit down and rest before I knock you on your ass." Belle's temper flared, and she lit into the obstinate wolf with the same fierceness she had Jacob.

Ruby grinned, grabbed the scalpel, and plopped down in front of the wall. The cold concrete bit at her scarred back. Eventually, her body would be nothing but one giant scar. "I suppose you're resisting the urge to tell me exactly how electrocution affects the human body."

Belle snorted. "Don't be petulant," she warned. "And yes, I might tell you exactly what I was thinking while I watched a psycho torture you. Seizures, muscle spasms, organ damage, bone fracturing, teeth shattering, ventricular fibrillation, cardiac arrest, brain death."

"Ventricular what now?" Ruby halted the rant before Belle forgot to breathe. She hated that her partner knew all of that, too. She truly, truly did.

"Ventricular fibrillation. It's an uneven pumping of the heart chambers, which leads to a hundred other problems, one of which being a heart attack," Belle explained, her voice voiding the emotions she'd felt during the event. That felt familiar, a lot like her time spent as Storybrooke's protector from Pan's people. Dissociate to survive because she lacked the ability to properly process her emotions.

Ruby sensed her dark thoughts and pulled them back to a safer topic for the moment. They could break down later. "So, what's up with the baby? How many weeks are you?"

"Around 10. Addison can confirm that when I see her. Not many obstetricians will even consider an appointment beyond confirming pregnancy until at least eight to ten weeks, so I haven't had a sonogram yet. Plus, I sort of wanted to share that with you." She softened and glanced at the wolf picking at the shackle lock with the scalpel.

"So, does it have, like, fingernails?" Ruby asked, squinting up at her from the dusty floor.

"Uhh, they usually form around week 12, around the start of the second trimester. It should have a developing neural tube, which becomes the spinal cord, and a mouth and nose and eyes and ears and arms and legs," Belle informed her ignorant but insatiably curious lover.

Ruby loved learning, but she rarely picked up a book. That never stopped her from asking ten thousand questions a day that Belle happily answered, overjoyed to share her knowledge. The thought suddenly slapped her in the face that perhaps Ruby never searched for the knowledge independently because she wanted Belle to feel normal and confident the only way she knew how now that she sported a huge scar on her face. Ruby asked her because she could, not because she had to.

"What does it feel like? I mean, after she stopped yacking, Regina was all glowy and stuff. Did you go through that?" Ruby haltingly found the question she desired to ask.

Belle sighed and then shrugged. "My morning sickness wasn't nearly as bad as hers. Only certain scents set it off. I mostly craved really, really odd food combinations. That has gotten significantly better in the past few weeks since I've begun a vitamin regiment in addition to folic acid."

Ruby nodded and studied her partner. "You've been healthy, though? I mean getting everything you need, sleep and rest and enough fruits and veggies?"

Belle smirked at Ruby's hesitant concern. Anyone else asking those questions might have received a glare and indignant huff at the insinuation that she hadn't properly helped the child develop in her womb. "Yes, Sweetheart. Our child should be perfectly healthy and properly formed."

"What does it feel like?" Ruby asked again. Perhaps she'd carry next time. She wanted a whole damn wolf pack softball team. They could be named 'Beauty and The Howlers.'

Belle laughed, her face lighting up. "Honestly, bizarre. Remember that horrible movie you forced upon me: Spaceballs? I feel like that fellow in the diner. Any moment this alien is going to pop from my stomach, hiss at everyone, and then dance out the door in true musical theatre fashion."

Ruby laughed out loud and grabbed her cut and burned stomach. "My pride and joy: A little alien wolf," she managed around guffaws. Belle shook her head with a smile but held vigilant in her watch of the stairs.

"Ruby," Belle's suddenly scared voice cut through her laughter like ice dropped down the back of her shirt. "Where's the dagger?"

"What do you mean?"

"Rumpel's dagger," Bell yelled and backed towards her slowly, gun raised. "Ruby, where's the goddamn dagger!"

Ruby's hand slapped her hip as she sprang to her feet, but it only hit a thin bone. A quick glance to the table confirmed its glaring and painful absence. "Belle, shoot him!" She ordered and wrapped her arms around Belle's from behind, steadying her trembling hands.

A bang jarred both of them, leaving a ring in their ears from the echo, but the man disappeared a moment before Ruby squeezed the trigger. The gun flew from Belle's hands as he reappeared and clattered against the far wall near the stairs. Ruby switched their positions and wrapped an arm around Belle's waist, holding her front tightly against her bare back. Small, warm hands found her ribs.

"I'm truly sorry, Miss Lucas," Rumpel whispered. "Though I loathe the dagger in anyone's possession but my own, you never controlled me unless I was discovered harming someone or you needed magical assistance. It seems a small price to no longer be feared." The sincerity in his eyes caught her off guard. Rumpel liked giving her control of his actions?

Those dark, sad eyes turned to Belle's big baby blues peeking over Ruby's shoulder. "Who better to teach me than the one who made my True Love fall in love with her?"

A second set of steps on the stairs blasted a hole in the tender moment, and Rumpel's spine snapped tight. He twisted his hand into a fist, and Ruby doubled over as that simple motion manifested inside her stomach. She bit her lip until the tangy of blood spread over her tongue and tears flew from her eyes. Jacob laughed.

Ruby gritted her teeth. Her wolf was stronger than magic, she reminded herself. Regina said so. She tapped the strength within. A flood of emotions surged into her heart. Her love and her rage combined into one unstoppable form of fur and teeth. She cultivated the imagine in her mind, grooming it to perfection and then unleashed its raw power without physically altering her body.

The hold in her stomach broke, her intestines untwisting slowly. She dropped to her knees, panting for half a second, and then used the position as leverage to tackle The Dark One to the dusty ground. She grinned as the dirt mussed his pretty suit and shoved off his chest in a direct and inhuman sprint towards Jacob.

A slight, almost musical sound met her ears, like a banjo string wound too tightly. She wobbled on her feet and then dropped to the ground mid-stride. Jacob held up a hand weapon of some sort. "Tranquilizers," he explained. "Horse strength. Probably won't knock you out, not one anyway."

He shot the gun again, and Ruby finally noticed the sting in her belly from the first dart. The second sank into the meaty bit of her shoulder. He rolled her over and lifted her from the floor. She fought, but her body took far longer to digest and metabolize the sedative than Rumpel's magic. How had she done that?

Apparently, Jacob wondered the same thing as he threaded her arms through the back of the chair and attached a set of shackles to her ankles, which attached to her wrists. Effectively, he made her strength useless again because she simply pulled against her own flesh this time. "How the hell did she break free from your magic?" He seethed from somewhere behind her.

Rumpel dusted his clothes. Ruby grinned and fought to keep her eyes open. Belle picked up an old board and swung with vicious intent. Rumpel hit his knees. A second thump took him back to the floor where he remained unconscious. Jacob stood and shook the dart gun at her, still nursing a wounded shoulder.

"He was going to heal me!" He screamed, spit flying with excited velocity.

"Oops," Belle murmured and held her hands in the air, surrendering to avoid the same chemical treatment Ruby received. Though the power of belief in their pendants gave them the promise of a healthy child, she decided to not take any chances.

He grabbed her roughly by the shoulders, and she pushed on his hips feebly. "Poor little defenseless Belle without her magic and her wolf," he taunted her darkly, his tone suggesting exactly what he'd enjoy doing to her.

His hard, wet kiss confirmed it. She allowed it to happen, eyes open and covered her breasts with her shackled hands when she noticed his were shut. He felt the movement against his chest and jerked her hands from the sensitive area.

"Don't cover yourself, my little whore. You're mine now. I've bested your alpha." He forced her into the other chair and attached her ankles to the shackles already there. The chain linking her hands jerked down roughly, trapping her hands between her knees with zip ties linking the two sets of restraints.

The position caused her to lean forward slightly, biceps pressed against her breasts. He smiled lasciviously and brushed the middle knuckle of his forefinger over the pliable flesh. "Isn't that how this works in wolf world? When the alpha is defeated, all of his or her possessions become the victor's?"

Belle scoffed. "I am no one's chattel, Merrick," she spat before Ruby could. She hit the _ck_ of his name with emphasis. "I'm not afraid of you," she announced and tipped her chin defiantly, making eye contact.

A backhand on her face broke it, blissfully keeping her from dry eyes and the overwhelming urge to roll them as she stared him down. He retrieved the revolver from the floor, left one bullet, spun the chamber, and set it on the table.

"Shall we begin? Is that sedative wearing off yet? Your wolf shouldn't take long to break free," Jacob said and snagged the dusty scalpel from the floor and wiped it clean. Blood from his gunshot wound trickled to his fingers, leaving behind dark red impressions on the otherwise clean instrument.

"Same rules apply. Don't scream. Don't beg. Don't attack me. Don't even breath loudly." he leaned next to her ear as he spoke, sending chills up her spine. She liked him much better when she could see him.

Belle met her eyes. "I'm here, Sweetheart," she whispered softly. Ruby nodded and took a deep breath.

Panic flickered when he grabbed her hands. Belle's eyes widened in terror and then immediately returned to her a second before the thin, sharp blade slid beneath one of her fingernails and ripped it from her flesh. Ruby's chest and stomach shook and jerked as she pulled jerking breaths into her lungs in attempt to control the pain. Small puffs of air shimmied in and out of her mouth in strangled, broken gasps, just as though someone beat on her chest, preventing a smooth flow of oxygen.

He wasn't only causing physical pain. Ruby worked with her hands. Crafting. Serving food. Making music. He took something far more precious to the wolf than the temporary use of her fingers. They'd heal, but would they ever work the same way again?

"I'm here," Belle whispered. "Think about alien wolves," she encouraged and tried to smile. Ruby raised her eyes, but not her head, and demanded her gaze.

Ruby nodded, lips and chin quivering as she released a slow, steadying breath. She wasn't prepared for the next nail tearing free from the hypersensitive flesh below the cuticle. Her head tipped backwards, and a blood curdling scream broke free.

"I'm sorry! Belle, I'm sorry!" followed the loosed squall.

Ruby hung her head and sobbed freely as Jacob enthusiastically retrieved the gun and trained it on the librarian. Belle desperately searched for Ruby's eyes, panicking when she believed they'd not raise to hers. "Sweetheart, it's okay. Shhh, it's okay. I have faith."

Chocolate brown eyes met glacial blue a second before Jacob pulled the trigger. "I love you."

Bang.


	38. And Back

Shout out to Jet MacLeod for the name Daniel Peter. Thanks, friend!

I'm estimating 2-4 wrap up chapters, depending on the demand for them. I only have two particular scenes still in my head, but I'm creative, so throw them at me. Anything you want to see or have explained that I haven't yet?

Enjoy!

Songs: Bad Reputation by Joan Jett (My music was all over the place so I deferred to my go to female badassery song), Let it Be Me by Ray LaMontagne

* * *

Blood. Hot sticky liquid on her face, a spray, spattering. Ruby blinked once. She exhaled, wincing at the loudness of the whoosh in her sensitive ears. Belle coughed, and more hot liquid hit her face and bare chest. The world rushed into Ruby all at once, and she lurched forward, stopped by the shackles.

"Belle," she whispered when the restraints halted her forward momentum violently.

Belle opened her mouth to speak but only a wet gurgle bubbled from her throat followed by a mouthful of blood. A hollow, rasping cry tore from Ruby's throat. She struggled against her bonds frantically. Panic controlled her actions, pulling desperate whimpers and whines from her throat when they held strong.

Jacob giggled.

Yellow eyes pinned him to the spot across the room where he'd taken that fatal shot, killing the joyous noise in his throat. A thousand different emotions crashed into the angry wolf, and he froze, actually worried for the first time since taking them captive. Ruby bared her teeth maliciously. She and Belle were linked, which meant she had about two minutes to kill the bastard before Belle bled out, snuffing both of their lives.

They hadn't made it, but he was going with them.

An inhuman growl pulled her lips into a ugly snarl. The grief crashed into her, the love, the undiluted rage, the grief of an unfulfilled life. She fed them to her wolf, boosting it's power, giving it control. Liters in her neck strained and bulged, veins popped, metal groaned and creaked. Ruby loosed a low growl which turned into a hollow scream of determination. Jacob's eyes widened with fear when the chains of the shackles pulled free from the cuffs around her ankles.

He lunged for the safety of the barrier, narrowly escaping the free wolf, and scrambled up the steps. Ruby hit the barrier without slowing her chase. The magic beat against her, knocked her a step back. Her wolf rage flared, and she wanted it to, encouraging the frenzied wrath of an animal undone. The wolf was stronger, she told herself. She was stronger than the magic. She'd bested Rumpelstiltskin's magic and showed no mercy to Amelia's barrier potion.

Gathering the straggling tendrils of emotions not channeled into her wolf, she surged forward.

The barrier popped and snapped, busting like a soap bubble and flinging bits of magical suds everywhere. In the back of her mind, she registered the frantic call of Regina, her best and most loyal friend as she flew from the top stair of the musty cellar. The wolf ignored it and allowed the beast absolute control. Four paws hit the ground with a satisfying thud.

She spared a single thought to Belle's anguish from her transformation but quickly dismissed the thought. Belle was too weak to feel anything. The second heart in her chest faded with each second. Faster, she commanded the legs fueled by adrenaline and willpower.

Jacob sprinted across the open field now barely lit with the light of the almost full moon peeping over the tree lines. Silly boy, Ruby thought inside the thick skull of her most valued weapon and terrifying attribute. She overtook him quickly, lunging upon his back. He rolled beneath her, allowing the fear in his eyes to intoxicate her rage further. The hunter just became the hunted, and Ruby felt the powerful spark of that knowledge in her bones.

With a shake of her head, the fur gave way to the soft but damaged skin of a woman pushed too far. "I'm going to do far worst to you than what I did to Peter," she vowed, her voice cold and dangerous and only breadth from his ear. "You ask for a monster, you'll get a monster."

He shook beneath her, struggled, landed one blow on her jaw. She sneered and grabbed his wrist. With a flick, several sickening pops and snaps met her ears, filled her heart with joy. He squalled. She grinned and released the useless arm. The violence consumed her, egging her further into the darkness she'd fought so long. He clutched it to his chest as though it might have protected him from his fate, and she allowed the numbing call of the wolf inside her heart a little more.

With little effort, Ruby extended her fingers into the razor claws of the wolf. "This is for Emma," she whispered and dragged the nails across his chest, flaying the skin in four places. His teeth clenched, but a pained, rumbling groan broke lose from his throat anyway.

"And this is for Katy," she ripped at the crotch of his pants, humming into the warm spurt of blood from his genitals against her slightly furry wrist. She grinned into the sensation.

Screams of agony echoed in the surrounding trees. "Stop! Please stop!" He begged, sounding like the 18-year-old boy he was. She expected empathy or guilt to punch her in the gut like a bag of hammers. It never came. She felt nothing for this life. He may have been abused and mistreated by life, but he had been dead inside from the moment he shot from betwixt his mother's legs. She sensed it then and now she knew. Changed remained impossible for him. He wasn't Regina. Regina turned to Dark Magic because all other options had been ripped from her.

Ruby felt Belle's heart falter in her chest, jerking her from rumination. Time ran too short for retribution for the others in her life that he'd harmed.

"And this is for Belle," she finished. Their eyes met a moment before she plunged her hand into his stomach.

Bloodied shoulders lifted from the ground, but no scream accompanied the agonized reflex. Warm goop surrounded her hand and forearm. A vindictive smile tugged at her lips. "I win," she proclaimed and jerked upwards to her feet.

A string of intestine unfolded, yanked from his body by the sheer force of her will. It snapped and cracked, popping beneath her hand. It tore somewhere within, reminding her of a fishing line suddenly going slack when the fish wrangled the hook loose. She stumbled slightly, and touched her chest with her free hand. In Belle's condition, any other human would have passed out by now, but she held on. To watch. To be certain.

He gasped and writhed, his heartbeat elevated and thundering in her ear. She tossed the hot pliable tube organ onto his chest and stared down at him, determined to witness the life leave his eyes. He shuddered once more, went limp. His eyes stared up at the pale silver moon but saw nothing. A satisfied smile tugged at her lips, but her body felt too exhausted and weak to complete the expression.

"Ruby!" A jarring voice called, sounding only a few feet away. Ruby turned from the carcass, feet unsure, legs drained of strength. Emma caught her around the ribs as her knees buckled, throwing her forward towards the ground.

"Belle," she whispered, and Emma brushed blood-dampened hair from her face, barely holding the other woman upright.

"Regina's going to her now," Emma assured her fallen friend, purposefully avoiding the mutilated body not two feet from her.

"Take me to her," Ruby demanded and pushed against her chest for leverage enough to stand.

Jack appeared suddenly in her vision. The older wolf scooped her up and ran towards the cellar, leaving Emma to follow as she wished. Emma almost wished she remained outside. Regina sat on the floor with a bloody and pale Belle propped against her. Both hands covered a bullet hole in her chest, but maroon liquid still spurted around the pressure.

"Emma, come push against my hands," Regina ordered. A teleport to the hospital sealed her fate, too close to death to survive the strain.

Jack deposited Ruby beside her love, but the wolf's body sank onto the floor in a limp heap. "What's wrong with her?" he demanded, fear in his now brown eyes. "This blood isn't hers."

"Their hearts," Regina said sadly and pressed a kiss to the side of Belle's head. "She's still carrying Belle's heart." She sniffed, nose red from the flush of heat to her cheeks.

"We're too late," she whispered against the frizzy blonde hair of the woman who had changed the course of her life so much. She pulled one of her hands from beneath Emma's and grabbed Ruby's damaged wrist and pressed it to her mouth.

"I love you," she breathed against scratched knuckles. She kissed Belle's head again. "I'm so sorry, Bookworm," Regina cried unabashedly. Tears of a grief that would never heal dripped onto her cheeks and into Belle's hair.

Emma wiped her eyes on her wrist. Jack covered his face with two beefy paws and cried shamelessly for the daughter he'd never know. Regina held her cheek against Belle's head and closed her eyes against the tears tumbling onto her cheeks.

"You can't heal her with your magic," Emma asked, sounding like a lost little girl.

Regina shook her head, dislodging more tears from her eyes to her face. "Dark Magic… it comes from my anger, my hatred. It's difficult to heal with such magic, and I never learned how."

"Then learn how to love," Emma demanded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. She grabbed Regina's bloody hand and pressed it to her chest, smearing Belle's blood on the fabric of her grey t-shirt.

Regina shook her head calmly, trying to accept reality. "It doesn't work like that, Emma."

"Regina, do something!" Emma yelled at her, pressing her hand harder into Belle's chest. She wanted to meet the woman they'd all spoken so fondly of in the past two months. Alex needed her moms. She needed Ruby's friendship. Regina needed her family.

"Emma, please," Regina begged and dropped her forehead to Belle's hair. Emma's hysteria infected the entire room, exciting tears of sympathy as well as grief from the other two.

"Regina, use my love," Emma whispered, completely convinced of her plan's success. She didn't know that they'd already shared hearts. "Just do it! What could it hurt to try?"

"Emma."

"No!" She screamed. "I won't accept this! Why won't you believe?"

Regina's head shot up immediately and met Emma's desperate but determined gaze. Even if she never remembered, Regina would never forget. She'd said those words before in Neverland, more than once. Those words gave her a child, restored her love for the woman now silently pleading with her. Dark eyes slipped shut with a defeated sigh, and her hand slipped into Emma's chest. Emma often sensed things none of them ever did. If she didn't try, she'd lose Emma, too. To resentment if not amnesia and grief.

Quaking fingers clutched the beautiful heart gingerly. Wisps of insecurity and uncertainty touched her first, and then…

Emma gasped, falling to her hands and knees. Regina jerked, almost losing touch with that powerful life organ within her wife's chest. A surge of True Love seeped into her veins, and she absorbed its power. Not since Neal took her love had she felt such raw, unadulterated power, the power of unselfish love. This Emma produced more love than Older Emma.

She wasn't jaded or judgmental, not at this point in her life. Regina let go of Ruby's hand and covered the still weeping hole on Belle's chest. Her mind focused the love their, combined it with her magic, felt the tingle of power in her fingertips. When she opened her eyes, however, the violet shade of purple associated with darkness and hatred gave way to the bright shimmering white of Light Magic.

"Regina," Emma whispered in a pant. She'd pulled on Regina's magic once before that day on the beach but never expected the automatic response of her body. Wetness pooled between her legs, and the desire to pleasure Regina only added to the surge of energy being sucked from her heart.

Struggling to her knees, Emma covered Regina's bloody hand on Belle's chest, combining their magicks. The neon shimmer of pink energy swirled and peeped around her hands trapped against her wife's. Emma's head dropped between her biceps as a thousand images swirled inside her mind. All of them important, none making sense. Not one memory picture froze in her mind, but they left behind a feeling of familiarity and trust and love and sacrifice.

She believed, and one glance into Regina's eyes told her that the sorceress believed, too. They could do this. They _would_ do this. Together. As they were always meant to be.

Ruby jerked upright, recovering first. Jack's head raised simultaneously, and huge strong hands covered her shoulders, stabilizing her body before she lashed out instinctively. She nodded, telling him she understood who they were, even if the details of how she'd lived remained fuzzy. He unbuttoned his flannel shirt, stripping to a plain chalky blue t-shirt beneath and held it out to his daughter.

She slipped into it gratefully and wrapped it around her body without closing the buttons. Jack nodded towards the trio, two still glowing and sobbing uncontrollably. Rolling to her knees, Ruby dropped the shirt and touched Belle's face around Emma's.

"Come on, Baby," she encouraged. "Open your eyes." Though any understanding of what happened before her eyes sprinted in the opposite direction, Ruby understood on some level that Emma and Regina just saved their lives with magic.

As if healed by her words alone, those beautiful blue eyes crack, and a smile spread on her face. "Are we dead?" She asked, brow furrowed. Ruby laughed and shook her head, lower lip clamped between her teeth.

Emma and Regina locked gazes over the bloody, chalky blonde hair. As one, they laughed out loud, dispelling the nervous energy of what they just accomplished. Regina released Emma's heart and retrieved her hand, only to cup the blonde's cheek. Her dark, watery eyes held a reverence that Emma often felt shone in her eyes. Once again, Emma Swan proved to her that love duped the darkness any day. Regina had brute magical strength, but Emma wielded something far more powerful. Belief. In them. In her. She suddenly missed her heart.

Their intimate moment caught Belle's attention, and she wiggled against the warm, unfamiliar body holding her upright, tipping her head against Regina's shoulder to see the face of the person holding her. Ruby just stared at Belle, unbelieving that they'd survived this brush with death, unbelieving that Belle asked her for marriage, unbelieving that she'd given Belle the child she yearned for.

"I want a handwriting sample," Belle demanded and blinked up at Regina, content to stay wrapped in the protective embrace with Ruby right in front of her where she confirmed visually her lover's survival.

Regina chuckled. "Done, and I promise never to leave cookies on your doorstep." Belle nodded at the answer and dropped to chin to meet Emma's bright green eyes.

"Hi, Belle," Emma said shyly, suddenly unsure of herself. Belle had been her maid of honor, but not one solitary memory of the woman pulled to the surface.

"Hi, Emma," Belle smiled and touched her cheek. Emma tensed at the intimate contact from the perfect stranger but allowed it for the moment. "You need a helmet."

The four laughed. Emma and Ruby pressed into Regina's sides. Ruby's arm slid protectively around Belle's stomach, and Emma's hand grabbed her arm. Jack watched them for a moment and then silently dismissed himself to make sure the little prick who'd hurt them had in fact met the fate due him.

Emma touched her nose to her wife's cheek and whispered softly, though she knew the other two heard, "I think I'd like to put my ring back on." Regina smiled brightly and leaned her temple against Emma's forehead gently.

Belle and Ruby smiled at each other. The timing was so perfectly them that they couldn't bear to hold back their happy news. Belle adjusted her head until she saw Emma's face. "Will you still be my maid of honor even if you can't remember me?"

The other two pulled back and gaped at their flaky and unfortunate friends. Emma recalled very little of her life as The Savior, but she obtained enough information to know that Ruby and Belle called off their first engagement and often hit rifts in their relationship that never mended completely before the next one surfaced.

Emma shrugged. "I just used magic to heal help heal a bullet wound. I think I can handle a dress and heels," came the nonchalant and slightly insecure answer.

The reality of the situation finally sank into Belle's big brain. "Regina, your magic… that was Light Magic. I thought you couldn't heal?"

Regina kissed Belle's dusty hair again, a smile on her lips. "I suppose I've never been properly motivated before. What just happened came from love, not anger or vengeance."

Belle smiled, eyes closing slowly as Regina held a lingering kiss to the side of her head. Regina rarely showed her physical affection, partially due to her own aversion to the touchy-feely their partners seemed to prefer. She felt safe, though, and snuggled deeper into Regina's chest, soaking up the warmth and protection of that simple embrace. Ruby wasn't the only person she thought of while out in the world beyond Storybrooke.

She'd denied another the respect and consideration due her. "Regina, I forgive you. For everything," she said confidently with a steady, sincere voice.

Regina gasped a tiny quiet sob into her hair and tightened her grip around her chest. Emma glanced between the two, slightly confused, but decided not to interrupt the moment that clearly needed to happen if her three companions all dripped silent, happy tears because of the heartfelt confession.

Belle snorted, breaking from the emotion first. "Even your piss poor timing. You're slipping old woman. We expected you ten minutes ago," she huffed in mock aggravation in true princess fashion, pulling them through the moment.

"Ladies, don't mean to interrupt," Jack said as he descended the stairs, "but if you wanted to poof to the hospital, I'll stay here until Jacob's body can be retrieved."

The four stiffened when the light glimpsed off the dagger in his hands. Tension snapped like a whip in the room, and Ruby tensed, ready to wrestle the power of The Dark One from her father. He stared at the dagger for a long, hard moment; they waited. With a shaking hand, he extended it to Ruby, and she snatched it away quickly before he changed his mind.

"Ruby, there used to be a time when I'd have fought tooth and nail for that kind of power," he confessed and nodded to the unconscious man on the floor just a few feet from them. "I'm not a perfect man and I won't pretend to be, but for you, a chance to share your life, I'd like to try and be a better one."

Ruby opened her mouth to retort, closed it when nothing came out. Chocolate eyes gazed up at the man who had given her life, those eyes identical to hers. He smiled sadly and shoved his hands into his front pockets, shoulders hunching forward. Uncertainty shone in her eyes, a hesitance he hadn't expected. For the first time since his appearance in the diner that day, her eyes told him that she possibly wanted him in her life.

"Whatever you want, Ruby. I have a lot to make up for. It's in your hands, so…" he rubbed the back of his neck anxiously and jammed his hand back into his pocket. "You know where to find me. Even if you just need help building something or heavy lifting," he joked insecurely with a roll of one huge shoulder.

Nothing more came from the women, so he turned and headed towards the stairs. He stepped on the first one when a soft, "Jack," pulled his gaze over his shoulder. Ruby dropped hers when their eyes met again. "Thank you," she murmured. He nodded wordlessly and left them to reunite however they wished.

Belle covered the hand holding Rumpelstiltskin's dagger in her lap. Ruby nodded as if deciding something and glanced up. "Do you think they'd let us rent a room at the hospital? Just keep it on retainer just in case?"

Regina chuckled. "Our hospital bills cost more than my house. Keeping Eva on a retainer might prove more frugal." The other three giggled, releasing the stress of the moment.

"Hey Regina," Ruby said when the levity faded, a more serious and thoughtful tone replacing it. "Can you call ahead and have them page Addison?"

Regina's eyebrows reached for the roof. "What on earth fo…" She stopped abruptly and simply observed the tender glances between Belle and Ruby, the protective arm that had yet to leave Belle's belly. A smile spread slowly. "I always wanted a puppy."

Regina tapped out a text to the doctor while Emma's gears grinded and steamed from the new conundrum presented.

"Huh?" Emma grunted finally and looked between the three, knowing for certain she'd forgotten something very important. They had a cat. Why would they need a puppy?

"I'm pregnant, Emma," Belle saved the poor woman from the smoke pouring out her ears. "Addison is an obstetrician."

"Oh," she answered stupidly. Her brow furrowed, creating three little lines in her forehead and glanced between the two mothers-to-be. "Who's the father?" It was a valid question.

"Ruby got the job," Belle replied sardonically and chuckled at Emma's comically wide eyes.

"Like an Annabel baby?"

"Exactly like an Annabel baby," Belle beamed. Ruby summarized the Emma situation perfectly. She was still Emma, just… different. The small interaction gave her hope that they'd find a way to friendship once more, just as they had when Emma had curse amnesia before.

"Belle, Dr. Montgomery is awaiting your arrival. Apparently, she came to visit Lauren and Amelia, who made it through surgery with very little complications," Regina announced to everyone though she addressed the librarian specifically. Belle's chest deflated with relief. She'd forgotten about Amelia in the new development of her near death experience.

"Wait," Ruby said, jerking from fluffy baby thought. "What happened to Amelia?"

Belle squeezed her hand again. "Jacob stabbed her while abducting us. I imagine there's a big pool of blood to be cleaned from the kitchen in the loft." Ruby gritted her teeth. No regrets at all, she decided.

Regina jarred her from the dark thoughts with a light touch on her chest. "May I please put this where it belongs?"

"Oh yeah, lay it on me, Mama Bear," Ruby consented eagerly.

Chocolate puppy eyes slipped shut in relief when Regina finally relieved her of the second heart fluttering around in her chest. Belle sighed similarly when it reacquainted with her body. Without speaking, Regina touched Emma's shoulder while that information sunk in and called her magic. Everyone held their breaths and prepared to fly apart. They reappeared in the hallway outside Lauren's room, surrounded by gasps and sharp inhalations of surprise. Regina rolled her eyes.

Katy sprinted towards them despite Snow's best effort to thwart the girl's approach. She stopped suddenly with outstretched hands intended to help them to their feet. Ruby's bloody paw in her face killed the gesture, and the girl stepped back stoically with squared shoulders and a stiff spine.

"Not yet, Katy," Ruby explained, almost wincing at the ice in her voice. She climbed to her feet on aching joints and muscles, stiffened from the electrocution. Had she not been a wolf, she doubted very much her ability to move in that moment much less stand and help Belle to her feet.

Emma hopped up and offered Regina a hand, which she took. Addison hovered, blanching slightly at the amount of blood on the four women's clothing. Belle said nothing as she pointed her feet towards the maternity unit, tucked tightly against Ruby's side. They both required individual medical assistance, but the health of their child came first as Alex always had.

Regina smiled brightly at their backs and sidled up to er own True Love, and Emma wrapped her arms around her back. They stayed still for a moment, soaking up the comfort and relief of the moment like dry sponges. Movement near the door distracted Regina, and she pulled back slightly to find Snow White holding the most powerful object in the entire town. Regina grinned and nodded, accepting the necklace over her head once more.

"Thank you, Snow," she said sincerely. Snow nodded once, nothing more necessary. They understood each other perfectly. Regina was the queen, the rightful ruler, and Snow believed that she'd undoubtedly learn how to be a better leader under her tutelage.

"Katy," Regina said and reluctantly pulled from Emma's embrace. "Let me wash up a little and then we'll go home." Emma knew she needed to shove her heart back into her chest.

"Oh, Regina let someone come with you," Snow blurted in sickly sweet concern. "It seems that Ben escaped somehow. He might be waiting for you."

Fear flashed in Katy's eyes, and Regina resisted the urge to comfort the girl physically. She used her eyes and words instead. "How strange. He can't be found anywhere?"

Snow shook her head. Regina met Katy's eyes meaningfully. "That's quite alright, Dear. I doubt he'll bother us any longer or that he'd ever dare show his face in town again," Regina ruminated innocently.

Snow sputtered, catching the meaning immediately, and retreated towards the room. Regina winked at Katy who almost smiled. Though conflicted by the loss, she felt safer, saner, with the slightly terrifying knowledge that Regina killed him and stowed the body somewhere no one would ever find it. Her "interview" lasted less than ten minutes, but Katy wagered the pain endured during that eternity was severe if swift.

Regina disappeared into the hospital room without further comment, leaving Emma and Katy alone in the hall. The Savior picked at the dried blood on her hand, Belle's blood. Katy crossed her arms and stared at the grey and pink speckled linoleum.

"You okay, Shit head?" Emma asked quietly.

One side of Katy's mouth tugged upward and then dropped as quickly as she considered the question. "Not even close," she answered honestly.

"You know you're grounded until you're 30, right?" Emma tried to joke, suddenly unsure of herself near the disgruntled young woman.

"At least I won't get pregnant again. I'm happy for Belle and Ruby, though." She stared down the hall where the couple disappeared, pain and disgust on her face. "Ruby's going to take Alex from me," she whispered almost too low for Emma to catch.

Emma blew a sigh through her lips. "She's pissed, Kid. We all are, but more than that we're hurt. Trust…" Emma scratched her forehead, searching for the right words.

"Trust is a one time deal with you people," Katy finished what she assumed to be the thought in Emma's head. "I'll pack when I get ho… to the mansion. You can drop me off at the convent and leave me as a ward of the city."

Emma softened dramatically and reached for the girl who shrugged away from the touch, hugging her arms tighter to her chest. "Is that really what you want?"

Katy stared down the hall, attempting to hide the tears swimming in her eyes and blurring her vision. She clenched her jaws and hung her head to her chest before shaking it gently, the gesture almost not there. "It doesn't matter what I want," she reasoned in a deep voice indicative of one fighting tears.

"Since when?" Regina demanded, rejoining the conversation.

Katy's head jerked up suddenly, dark blonde hair waving in the resulting wind. Regina smiled sadly at the girl and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Hazel eyes met the darker ones of her adoptive mother, confused, searching. Regina tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and held her cheek for a moment, something unspoken passing between them.

"Let's go home," Regina whispered.

Katy blinked rapidly, knocking tears onto her cheeks, and nodded enthusiastically. Regina steered them towards the exit and reached for Emma's hand, which she freely gave and twined their fingers together. Almost everyone stared, and Katy flinched as she walked the gauntlet, ducking her head from the attention.

"Head high," Regina whispered. "You're a warrior, not a coward peasant," she instructed without looking at the girl, but Katy looked at her.

She studied her beautiful posture, her lack of guilt for the life she'd taken that day. Regina transgressed more than any of them. Without her permission or command, Katy felt her body straighten and slipped a hesitant arm around Regina's waist. A hint of a smile graced the dark woman's lips before falling into a neutral expression once more. She understood in that moment: let the rabble see your weakness and it shall be exploited. Regina would not abandon her, especially now they were so similar.

Once again, they escaped the hounds of hell and emerged victorious if a little chipped at the edges.


	39. Mothers

Okay, Lovelies, probably one or two more chapters to tie in the Frozen arc unless I get more requested scenes. I still have to watch the premiere. So sometime between my class, my volunteered time in the scene shop, my grandfather's appointments, my actual job and meeting with the life insurance guy in the next 24 hours, I promise to try and finish this thing quickly. I'll throw in some smut for the hell of it for your patience.

Enjoy!

Songs: She Walked Away by Barlow Girls, I Think About You by Collin Raye

* * *

"Where is she?" Regina asked softly as she swished into the kitchen in a royal purple silk pajama pants suit with a tank top. Emma turned from the sink, coffee mug still pressed to her chin and one arm across her chest. She raised an eyebrow, wondering if Regina made a statement with her color.

"Sitting under your mutilated apple tree. What the hell happened to that thing anyway? Did the branch have a disease so you had it cut off?" Emma asked innocently, never having glanced at the backyard before that night.

Regina smiled, eyes slipping shut as she shook her head softly. "That's your handiwork, Darling. Our sexual tension spiked off the charts that day, but we unfortunately spent nearly six more months fighting before succumbing."

Emma bit her lip, holding in a snicker. "I'm badass."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Yes, Dear," she agreed wryly and poured her own cup of coffee before sliding between Emma and the sink in order to peer out the window.

Strong, steady arms circled her waist, the blood still upon Emma's clothes long dried by that point. "Katy got Alex down about 15 minutes ago. Annabel is pumped of puke. She seems to do that more with the formula. Are you sure you want to switch completely?" She leaned her cheek on Regina's shoulder and studied her wife's solemn face.

"I have no option," Regina admitted sadly, bitterness at her perceived failure evident. Emma tightened her hold around her waist. "I wasn't meant to carry a child. Our magic defied the laws of nature. Despite regular pumpings and feedings, my body simply refuses to produce more milk."

Emma nuzzled her neck and pressed tiny kisses on the skin that smelled of that delicious lotion Regina wore everyday. "That doesn't make you a failure," she whispered against the soft skin. "You're a good mom, Regina. I've seen enough bad ones to know."

Regina covered the arm around her waist, squeezing gently as Emma's soft words touched her soul. "Speaking of good parenting, were you able to reach Dr. Hopper?"

Emma nodded, much more interested in nipping her ear than talking. With a sigh, she released the tantalizing flesh and scampered to the island and pulled the cookie jar to her. Regina grinned as she tore her eyes from their angst-ridden teenager and leaned a hip against the lip of the sink.

"He said not to smother her but let her know we were here for her," Emma relayed. "I guess some people try again after failing the first time. Don't ignore it, but don't blame her or push for her reasons behind it. He also said to give him a call tomorrow and he'd come over for an informal chat." She closed the cookie jar and pushed it the center of the island, her stomach suddenly too knotted to eat.

"Thank you." Regina propelled from the counter and poured the rest of the coffee into a mug. "Go shower. You promised Henry a zombie-fest, whatever that is," Regina nudged lightly as she crossed to the door leading to the back deck, both mugs in one hand.

She stopped abruptly and returned for a kiss. Emma grinned up at her but said nothing as she watched her face down the next challenge - their depressed and mentally, emotionally, and physically abused daughter. Regina caressed her cheek with a tender thumb and simply stared down at her wife. Light reflected against her rings, which now felt foreign against her finger after being bare for so long.

Emma removed the coffee from her other hand and sat the hot mugs on the island. Those beautiful hips snugged between her thighs, guided by confident hands on curvaceous sides. Regina stood limply, curious about Emma's next move. With this Emma, she rarely anticipated what ridiculous question came flying next from those pale lips.

"Is it really over?"

Regina nodded. "I believe so. I never imagined Ruby capable of such…" Waving her hand first, she wrapped both around Emma's neck and shuddered. "I'm not sure I know a word that adequately describes the feeling I had when I watched her rip that boy apart."

"Yeah," Emma agreed. She smashed tiny kisses against Regina's chest and held her belly tightly against her own. Regina seemed content to play with her tangled hair, so the moment lingered.

"I need to talk to Amelia," Emma said abruptly. Regina's finger stilled.

"Are you alright? Is it headaches again? Are you regressing?" Regina tipped Emma's chin upward with two thumbs beneath it, hands holding her cheeks firmly, and searched her eyes.

Emma smiled at the mild panic nn her lover's face. "No, nothing like that. I… I think magic can fix me. When you touched my heart, I got a lot of feelings, but no solid image to go with them."

Regina smiled sadly and kissed her forehead, holding it through a sigh. "Emma, magic cannot fix everything."

"Let me touch your heart," Emma begged in a pleading, desperate whisper. "You said I couldn't before because it'd confuse me, but I already love you, Regina. It might seem sudden, but once I care about someone, I care about them, ya know?"

Regina sighed and stepped back from the embrace. Emma's eyes hardened, hurt. "Later, Darling. After I've spoken with Katy and you've fulfilled your zombie promise." She smiled slightly and tucked a strand of gold hair behind Emma's ear. "I've learned never to question when you believe so heartily in something, but the result of holding my heart presently would deter the desperately needed attention our children require of us."

Emma nodded. "Okay." With a peck to her lips, she snagged the cookie jar and her coffee and left the kitchen, presumably to drop them off in the living room before showering. Regina's brow knitted. Hopefully, she thought before shaking away Emma Swan's unusual behaviors. Her nose wrinkled involuntary as she thought of Emma's proclivity towards cold coffee. The woman never complained about icy caffeine.

Caging thoughts of her odd wife, Regina slipped out the back door and crossed the yard. Normally, the dew on her slippers incited tendrils of irritation, but tonight, she forgave the moisture easily and moved on to more important things. Katy stared into the darkness but accepted the mug as though she'd seen every single movement since Regina left the house.

"It's chilly," Regina reasoned and sipped her own warm brew. Katy hummed but held the mug on her thigh, unfeeling of the cold.

"How do you feel?" Regina tried again. Katy shrugged.

With a sigh of resignation, Regina topped the back of the bench with her arm and trailed feathery knuckles over the nape of her daughter's neck. "It's okay, Darling. You needn't speak, but I'd like to if you care to listen."

Katy finally glanced at the other woman, only moving her eyes. "Okay."

Regina sipped her coffee, suddenly void of thoughts and words now that she'd been given the go signal. Katy took a tentative sip of the sugarless, black liquid, just like Regina's. Her eyes slipped shut as she savored the safe and tender caresses upon her neck. Regina never demanded anything, never pushed her, not like this younger Emma had.

"I was only 18 when my mother forced me to marry the king," Regina started bluntly, unknowing how else to commence the heart wrenching tale of her life. Brown and hazel eyes both remained pointed towards the darkness.

"For months, he waited for me to come to him as a wife, but I had no desire to have sex with him or bear his heir. Rumpelstiltskin made many promises and fulfilled none, not until I was ready to be broken." Regina sighed.

"Long story cut short, I tried to run away to Rumpel's castle. Leopold raped me, my first sexual experience, and continued doing so until he finally realized that my body refused him an heir. A few months after that first time, Rumpel returned," Regina seethed, almost surprised by the sudden anger after all these years. Perhaps she required Dr. Hopper's assistance as much as Katy.

"Why wait?" Katy asked with a bashful glance at the older woman. She'd never seen Regina so unguarded and wanted more of the reserved woman she'd come to respect as a mother and mentor.

Regina chuckled self-deprecatingly. "The ultimate question that dominated my life for decades."

At Regina's dark tone, Katy averted her gaze to the darkness and sipped her coffee. Regina scratched her hairline, telling her silently that the question hadn't caused the iciness. Katy relaxed.

"The answer is power. He wanted me begging for it so that I'd become absolutely loyal to him, and also blind to his larger scheme, which was to cast The Dark Curse. He lacked the power, so he manipulated me into believing it was my only salvation, my only chance at happiness." Regina paused and released a shuddering breath. Katy scooted towards her an inch.

"Is that why you turned evil? Doesn't sound like you had much of an option," Katy sussed out, grasping at the moral behind Regina's poignant tale.

Regina made a thick noise, a deep vibration in the back of her throat. "I'm not certain I was ever evil." She sighed and dropped her gaze to the thumbnail picking at the swirling white design on the black cup in her hand. "I've committed many evil acts, but as I reflect upon my life, I find that I never actually wanted to do any of them. It only takes one to set into motion a cycle nearly impossible to break."

Katy snorted, and relief flooded Regina's heart in a warm rush that spread across her chest and into her arms. Finally, the girl understood. Katy smiled shyly up at her for half a second before dropping her chin to her chest. It raised slightly to accepted warm coffee into her mouth and followed the cup as she leaned forward and set her elbows on her knees.

"He found me in the park the day Aunt Marion died," she uttered so softly that Regina's head turned unconsciously to catch the words. Laughing at herself cruelly, she hung her head between her shoulders.

"I know two dozen ways to kill someone with only one hand, and a second a guy called me pretty, I became one of those idiots who moon and pine over the prospect of True Love," she admitted harshly. Regina touched the curve of her bent back but refrained from rubbing the soothing circles the hand ached to perform.

"Katy, that doesn't make you weak. It makes you human. My entire life as been one elaborate quest for the love I'd lost as a girl. Nobody wants to be alone," Regina reasoned.

"I couldn't stop," Katy replied with a wet voice. "Once we started, I couldn't stop. I didn't know he targeted Ruby specifically, or that he had a partner, not at first anyway. I was afraid of losing my family if I said anything, and if I lost you, who'd protect me from him, ya know?"

Regina's heart jerked painfully in her chest, and she reminded herself not to judge Katy's decisions or question them. Be supportive. "Katy, we will always be here for you. The decision to adopt you was not one that Emma and I made lightly, so do not ever think that we will simply toss you aside because you've made terrible mistakes. That was not a temporary choice. You're not something to be endured until you come of age. We made the decision to love you unconditionally for the rest of our lives."

Katy nodded jerkily without raising her head or sitting up. "I think I know that now, but I didn't then." Air filled her lungs in slow, controlled breaths as she fought the tears.

"I was finally starting to fit in, make friends," she said wanly and sat up without leaning back, keeping Regina's hand against her back. "Now, I'm just the girl who fucked a psycho, got pregnant, and tried to kill her family and herself," came the next bitter truth. "I fucking hate social media."

Regina swallowed roughly and rubbed her back, and Katy leaned into her side. The reality of the situation took a moment to sink in for Regina. With tenderness in her hands like the first time she held Annabel, Regina sat her coffee aside and wrapped the girl into a protective hug. Katy's coffee joined hers on the bench, and then a stout arm squeezed her waist. Regina released the tense breath she'd instinctively held and settled into the embrace.

"Are you going to make me see Archie?" Katy asked, her voice meek and void of the strength Regina knew to be inside the girl.

"I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want, Sweetheart. I think taking that power from you at this point would be more counterproductive than helpful, but I do hope you'll consider it," Regina explained, remaining as neutral as possible.

Katy fell silent, fingers dancing against Regina's back, rubbing the smooth silk of her top between her fingers. "I'd prefer to speak with a woman if that's possible."

Regina smiled against her head and pressed a kiss there. Katy hadn't strangled the idea, and Regina understood her hesitation perfectly. A man might not have understood, even one as sensitive as Archie. "Astrid's been studying under Archie this past year since we've returned from The Enchanted Forest to learn counseling methods. Would you prefer her?"

Katy nodded. "I like Astrid, even if her taste in men makes me queasy."

Regina chuckled, the delicious sound vibrating soothingly against her ear. When the doorbell rang, Katy jerked aggressively. Regina scratched her back, not willing to leave the embrace to attend the visitor, and Emma's call from inside saved her from just that. Katy resettled, readjusting her head on Regina's chest.

Regina kissed the crown of dirty blonde hair below her lips and sighed contentedly. "Would you like me to have Archie and Astrid over for lunch tomorrow. just the four of us? Everyone else can go to Granny's."

Katy nodded. "Yeah, I don't want Alex or Henry to see me breakdown, and I'm sure Belle and Ruby don't give a shit. Emma's just… going with it all."

Any response Regina formulated caught in her throat when the back door opened. "Hey beautiful ladies of my life, I'm sorry to interrupt, but someone's here to see Katy," Emma explained, a slight apprehension combined with excitement in her voice.

Katy stiffened in her arms. "Who is it, Dear?"

"It's Marco's boy, Austin."

Katy bristled slightly at the mention of the boy Marco adopted after his parents died in the Battle for Storybrooke. "He smells like pine cones and paint thinner," Katy griped.

Regina snickered, recalling saying something similar about Robin Hood. "You are in no position to judge, Katyline," Regina reminded her gently. No response. "Do you wish me to send him away?"

Katy huffed a sigh and then grumbled, "No. He's harmless, physically anyway. His stutter, however, may drive me to homicide again."

A shot of relief excited Regina's heart as a slice of her fierceness surfaced. "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me. I've been craving brownies. I'll bring you and Austin some hot chocolate in a few minutes."

Katy smiled against her mother's collarbone and nodded. "Thanks, Regina." She pulled back, and Regina touched her face.

"You're welcome, My Darling." And then she traipsed towards deck. With a nod, Emma released the boy to approach the girl deserving of hawk-like supervision. He'd grown lanky in the past year, back bent at an awkward angle, indicative of his lack of breeding as well as his work in Marco's shop.

"Go back inside, Emma. She's fine," Regina soothed the resonating tension around her wife. Emma glared at the boy's back but acquiesced without further resistance.

Regina, however, waited.

Katy crossed her arms and glowered at the darkness. Standing awkwardly beside the bench, Austin fidgeted with a tiny white box clutched in his cut and calloused hands. When it became obvious that Katy refused to break the silence, he tossed shaggy, light brown hair from his eyes and cleared his throat.

"Hi K-k-katyline," he greeted bashfully.

"What do you want, Austin? I'm not an easy fuck contrary to what everyone thinks, so if you're here because you can't get a date, just go," Katy bit harshly. Regina's face softened, recognizing the defense mechanism as one of her own.

The boy dropped his head and adjusted his baggy flannel shirt. "That's n-n-not… You… Here." He finally decided on extending the box to her instead of speaking.

Katy eyed it suspiciously. After a moment, she reached for it, stopped short of touching it, and jerked her hand away. The limb tucked tightly beneath the other elbow, protecting her from the uncomfortable situation. He tossed his hair again and then opened the box, lifting from it a necklace on a piece of leather.

"I m-made you a n-necklace. It's called an evil eye. I'm n-not s-s-superstitious, but it's supposed to protect you from b-b-bad spirits and n-negative energies. I th-thought maybe you might like some extra h-help," he struggled through the explanation and held the necklace out to her, exhibiting the most non-threatening present in the world.

Katy stared at the round wooden disk with a simple design, painted blue and white and grey with a black dot in the center for a pupil. Slowly, her arms uncrossed as her hand raised to lightly grasp the necklace. Her thumb traced the little piers and edges, but they blurred when her eyes misted with tears.

She swallowed and blinked rapidly. "Thank you, Austin. I'm not superstitious either, but I'll take what I can get right now."

The boy nodded and ran a nervous hand through his mousey brown hair. He sat the little box on the bench as far from her as possible. "I h-have to g-get back. Marco is having d-d-dinner with Granny and asked me to be back in an hour. I s-s-spent most of it on your front stoop," he admitted, blush tinging his cheeks.

He jammed his hands into his baggy jeans stained with paint and textured with globs of wood glue. "Goodnight, K-k-katyline." He turned to leave, took two steps, and faced Katy once more.

"And for w-w-what it's w-w-w-worth, the thing you said before?" He studied her face, sincerity in his eyes. "I'd never do that. I know you're out of my league." No stutter. His certainty in the statement elicited a tiny gasp from the wounded girl who expected anything but that from the boy's mouth.

He nodded to the woman watching the interaction curiously, perhaps over-protectively. "Mrs. Sw-swan."

With that, he disappeared around the side of the house. Regina tracked him until he rounded the corner and then flicked her eyes back to Katy. She studied the necklace for a few moments and then slid it over her head and adjusted the simple fisherman's knot that allowed her to set the length of the leather to her preference.

Regina smiled and slipped inside. Without glancing at a recipe, she pulled ingredients for brownies from various places in the kitchen and pantry. Emma wandered in, trusting her sixth sense of food detection. She levered onto the counter and bounced her bare heels quietly on a cabinet.

"Whatcha makin'?" She burst without air.

Regina rolled her eyes. "Brownies."

"Ruby's favorite?" Emma theorized. She knew her wife well enough to puzzle out her habits by that point. When one of them needed a special boost, they received their favorite treat.

"And Katy's, though she'd never admit to obliterating her carefully planned protein diet," Regina explained, a smile on her lips.

"Is that boy still out there?" Emma clipped, her voice gritty and harsh.

Regina's smile grew as she measure the cocoa. "He's gone back to Marco's. She's okay, Darling. She'll be fine," Regina amended.

Emma squinted, and Regina noted that she'd either gone without her glasses or put her contacts in after her shower. "I missed something, didn't I?"

Regina swiped her finger through the dark brown batter and balanced the viscous substance as she inserted herself between Emma's knees. "Does it need more sugar?" She asked and offered Emma her finger.

Emma lowered her mouth over the digit without breaking eye contact. Regina's eyes slipped shut at the first touch of her tongue on the pad of her finger. Emma hummed and clamped teeth on her wife's skin when it tried to leave her mouth. Regina gasped, smoky brown eyes opening slowly. Hot lips held a suctioned pressure as it slid to the tip and pulled free with a pop.

"I think it has just the right amount," she answered the question. They both knew the content of her thoughts had nothing to do with desserts but the woman who made them.

Regina smiled up at her vivacious wife and slid playful hands up her thighs beneath the baggy blue basketball shorts. Emma swallowed. Nails raked the smooth, pale flesh, and a shiver followed. A thin eyebrow raised, and Emma leaned down to capture plump flesh-tone lips. Hands buried in damp, dark hair, tugging lightly near the back of her head.

Emma pulled those addictive lips from hers with a sharp yank and towered over the other woman. "If you want to finish those brownies, I suggest you behave," warned a husky voice.

Regina gave herself over to the hint of roughness and promise of more Emma offered. "Make me," she challenged.

Their mouths crashed together, teeth clanking as Emma lowered hers too forcefully. Regina leaned into her, breasts pressing into a toned stomach. Emma dominated the kiss, and Regina uncharacteristically allowed it. Everything faded except for those lips and teeth that bit and kissed and bit and kissed until Regina's were swollen and bruised.

"Ma!" Henry called a second before entering the kitchen. "Oh eeeeewww," he grumbled.

The woman sprang apart. Regina's hand caught in Emma's shorts, and she wrenched it free. They glanced at their son simultaneously. His ears tipped with red like Emma's, and he extended Regina's cell phone without opening his eyes. The women laughed at the boy.

"Mom, Aunt Belle's on the phone. Ma, I can't beat this level. There's this huge stone Salazar statue that chases me across a bridge and I can't get the lock off in time." He addressed them, eyes shut so tightly that white spots appeared behind the lids.

Emma hopped from the counter as Regina took the phone. The older woman squeaked when Emma slapped her ass as she scurried from the kitchen. She grabbed Henry's shoulders and spun the boy, catching him against her side, and disappeared.

"Belle?" Regina said, staring distractedly at the door where Emma exited. The sting of the slap pulsed hot tendrils of pleasure straight to her core, and Belle's voice actually shocked her when it came through the ear mic at the to[ of the device.

"We're going to be a little longer than expected," the former royal huffed, clearly endearingly irritated.

Regina chuckled. "What did Ruby do?"

Belle loosed a loud screak of frustration. "That imbecile wolf jumped onto a counter during my exam and howled. She fell off and caught her leg on something. She's getting stitches," she explained snappily.

"I got excited!" Ruby protested in the background. Belle huffed, and the scratching in the phone told Regina she left the room to avoid strangling her fiancée.

"What, pray tell, caused that amount of excitement?" Regina asked, not quite sure she wanted to know the answer.

"We're having twins."

* * *

A requested one-shot for the first one who guesses the correct game!


	40. Memories

So, the premiere proved absolutely useless in helping me wrap this thing up. Soooo, I did my own thing as per usual. Praying the season gets better because I was not impressed enough to come back for more without my already cemented devotion to the show. They relied far too much on Frozen's popularity to carry that episode. Haven't watched the second one yet, so no spoilers.

This will be the last chapter with a follow-up epilogue.

Enjoy!

Songs: Private Parts by Halestorm, Wannabe by Spice Girls

* * *

Ruby and Belle entered the dark house as silently as possible with the former gimping and latter grumbling about stupid wolves. The speedy healing that happened during restorative sleep probably sealed the wound by morning, but Belle gave her no slack. She flipped the switch to the outside light and allowed Ruby to guide her up the stairs to the foyer with her superior vision. Light flickered in the dark living room, exposing the secret location of Emma and Regina in the dim house.

They smiled at the persistent, "I'm telling you. We totally need a black friend," as Emma protested something said before their entrance in her new Emma whiny voice. Clearly, Regina dismissed whatever harebrained idea the blonde spurted in the continuous flow of hilarious and slightly disconcerting crap that oozed from her mouth these days.

"Emma Swan, I will do no such thing," Regina sniped haughtily. The duo calculated Regina's voice shifts so often that they knew without asking that, despite the slight irritation, the queen willingly endured the verbal torture of Emma's newest plea, probably explained with the subtly of a bullhorn and the insistency of a puppy.

Emma sighed dramatically. "But your Evil Queen outfits could totally be substituted for Posh Spice's dominatrix-like costumes." A husky voice practically moaned. Belle's head jerked back in confusion. Since when had Emma desired Regina in those beautiful if outlandish clothes?

Ruby burst into laughter, alerting the other two of their presence. "What the hell are you talking about?" She managed around her giggles. Belle smacked her stomach with the back of her hand, and Ruby hissed at the impact on the slice across her stomach. It'd already begun healing, but the gentle contact still pained her.

The uncomfortable sensation, however, dissipated at Regina's dark glare waiting as they rounded the corner. Belle looked between Emma and Ruby, utterly confused. Emma and Regina lay on the couch with Emma against the arm and Regina leaning into her chest, head resting comfortably on her shoulder. Emma jostled her slightly in her excitement of Ruby's understanding.

"Hear me out, Rubes," she bade, focusing on the one person who might have agreed with her, and paused for dramatic effect. "Regina's Posh, I could be Baby since I have blonde hair. Belle could be Ginger because of the copper top thing she has going on right now, not to mention -" Emma held her hands in front of Regina's breasts and rocked them up and down like she held larger, heavier mounds in her hands.

Belle rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in irritation. Regina slapped the hands away and made a mental note later to punish Emma, lovingly of course, for noticing another woman's tits.

"So, that makes me Sporty," Ruby concluded. "I can live with that. Plus, we've all kissed each other, so it actually works. Well, except for me and you, Emma." A live television audience cackled in the background as if cued to do so. Emma actually jumped at the perfect timing of the sound. What was Regina's obsession with The Golden Girls, anyway?

Emma bounced, irritating Regina further with the jostling. "Seriously, this has to happen."

Hackles raised. "You will not kiss my wife, Miss Lucas," Regina warned, and Emma swatted her belly.

"No, not that," Emma corrected, not even slightly deterred by the older woman's possessive antics. "We have to find a black friend and dress up like the Spice Girls for Halloween!"

Belle's hand jerked up suddenly, killing Ruby's agreement in the back of her throat. The wolf choked on her words. "Who are the Spice Girls?"

Ruby and Emma groaned. Regina raised her eyebrows and shook her head at Belle, letting her know their partners confused her, too. Emma threw her hands in air. "Only the greatest girl band that ever existed!" Belle and Regina stared at Emma and Ruby respectively.

"Really?" Ruby blurted. "If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends," she sang the chorus of every woman's dirty secret song.

"That does not even make logical sense," Regina scoffed and crossed her arms, which lost most of its effect in her current position against Emma. She only looked adorable.

"Fine," Emma huffed, defeated.

"OO-OO-OO!" Ruby exclaimed. Emma met her eyes as another idea formulated in the wolf's.

Ruby grinned. "I got chills. They're multiplyin' and I'm losing control."

Emma clapped and dislodged Regina completely as she jumped off the couch. "We could be the T-birds and the Pink Ladies!" Regina glared unbeknownst to the two more excitable members of their foursome and sat up, offering sofa to Belle.

Ruby fist bumped her conspirator, and they broke into song. "You're the one that I want. Ooh Ooh Ooh, Honey!"

"Ruby Lucas," Belle warned and rubbed her forehead like it hurt. "You're going to wake the children," she cautioned on deaf ears and plopped beside Regina to watch the two dance around the living room. Ruby gimped, mostly gesturing with her arms, and Emma shook hips to the beat only they knew.

Belle really wanted to laugh, to smile, to encourage the childish behavior. Emma and Ruby dealt with life differently than her and Regina. Tonight it only reminded her of why they had so much steam pent up in the first place. Once again, a psychotic, power-hungry brute of a person attempted to tear them apart because of mistakes they'd made. She covered her belly with protective hands and wondered how much more their children paid for the mistakes they'd made, intentional or not.

"Just stop!" Belle yelled at them as she came to her feet, still bare. Those black pumps were lost in a place she intended never to return. Everyone froze, even Belle for a tiny moment before covering her face with her hands and sighing deeply.

"I'm sorry," came the sincere and tear-filled apology as she raised her head. "I'm starving and I'm tired and I have a bullet lodged in my chest because apparently magical healing only heals instead of removing projectiles. And, I'm about to start getting huge in the next couple of weeks because we're having twins. And I just spent my first day back in Storybrooke watching the woman I love being tortured. Could we please just watch The Golden Girls and forget this day ever happened?"

Ruby's brow furrowed compassionately as she sobered immediately and reached for her distraught lover, but Belle slapped her hands away. Regina wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she stood, noticing how Belle rubbed at the side of her belly near her hip. The younger woman wrapped her arms around Regina's waist and buried her head in her neck.

"The round ligament hurts, doesn't it? I imagine yours to be far worst than mine because you're growing twice as fast," Regina empathized. Belle nodded into her shoulder.

Regina rubbed her back soothingly and met Ruby's wide, terrified eyes over the shorter woman's shoulder, ensuring the second partner took notes. Belle was tiny, which meant this was going to get far more intense. "What would you like to eat?"

"Peanut butter chicken," Belle mumbled. Regina wrinkled her nose at the odd request. "Do we have any raspberry sauce here?"

Regina shook her head, biting her lip against the smile threatening to split open her face. "I'll conjure some from Granny's," she promised and glanced up at Ruby again. "Miss Lucas, please figure out how to combine peanut butter and chicken. Emma, please run up to our bedroom and bring me the heating pad from my nightstand." The women dispersed immediately.

"Lay down, Bookworm," Regina encouraged gently and cautiously extracted her body from the Belle's arms. She adjusted the pillow Emma used to protect her back from the couch arm as Belle followed her instructions.

"How many weeks?" Regina asked and sat beside the distraught librarian, hip-to-thigh.

"Seven. I thought I was at least ten because of the growth rate. I'm sorry for going off," Belle apologized.

Regina smiled and pressed fingertips into Belle's side right above her hip, massaging slow firm circles into the area. "The overwhelming feeling of dread will lessen," Regina tossed out casually.

Belle propped her elbow on the back cushion and held her forehead. "It wasn't real. I knew I was pregnant, but it wasn't real until I saw it." Her eyes moved rapidly, but Regina knew she saw nothing as her thoughts and panic consumed her.

"Am I selfish?" Blue met dark chocolate, and Regina knew instantly what Belle's biggest fear had become.

"Belle," she slapped away the overwhelming images and ideas in her friend's head. She'd pondered the exact same question the entire duration of her pregnancy. Her past created many enemies that potentially targeted her children without her knowledge.

"I'm having a litter of wolves," Belle exclaimed, and Regina snickered, unable to stop it.

"You're okay," she laughed. "Just a moment of panic." Motherly fingers tucked a strand of blonde hair behind an ear and then cupped Belle's face. The younger mother settled.

Emma returned at that moment and quietly plugged the pad into an outlet and handed it to Regina. She tucked it around Belle's hip and back and set it on a low heat. Emma slipped from the room without another word, presumably to join her equally mortified companion in the kitchen.

"I want Ruby," Belle said suddenly and almost sat up. Regina pressed her down with steady, maternal hands on her shoulders.

"I'll send her from the kitchen and finish your meal," she assured the young woman. Belle nodded and settled again, hiccupping unnecessary tears. Stress, Regina noted silently. Belle finally felt the stress as the reality of the past 24 hours punched her now bullet-scarred chest like a jackhammer.

As if by magic, Ruby appeared with a bowl and smiled hesitantly. "I made you a cranberry and walnut spinach salad. Addison said you're a little anemic."

Belle nodded and allowed Regina to help her sit up and lean against the pillow with her feet on the couch. Ruby gave her the bowl and stepped back, unsure how close her lover wanted her physically. Regina patted Belle's thigh beneath her bloody dress as she dug into the salad with fervor.

"Regina, I've adapted a reduction sauce recipe for the peanut butter glaze. It's open on the counter, but everything is in the pan, just needs to reduce." She explained the oddest combination of food she'd ever prepared.

"That's brilliant," she praised and touched Ruby's arm before leaving the two alone.

Emma perched atop the counter in her usual spot near the coffee pot, and an involuntary smile touched Regina's cheeks. The blonde twirled the silver wedding band on her finger absently, unaware of her presence at first. Green eyes glanced up as they caught movement near the fridge, falling on the tension now fully returned to Regina's shoulders.

"Regina," Emma said, like a lost child. Regina hummed but kept her eyes on the broccoli she chopped at the island. "What would Older Emma do to make you feel better right now?"

Regina sliced without responding. Emma sighed and jumped off the counter. "Regina?"

"She'd make me laugh," the dark woman explained. "She had this way of acknowledging the horrible events of our life with equal amounts of humor and earnestness."

"Like asking if Belle's babies are going to have fur?" Emma quipped. Regina smiled suddenly, and nodded.

"Exactly like that," she confirmed and leaned against Emma's chest as the other woman stepped into her. Emma smiled, proud of herself. Regina felt too deeply, she swore that was her partner's constant need to bitch and snipe.

"Regina," she whispered softly into her ear as glowing hands slid over voluptuous hips, tracing the crease of her thighs. The tingling crackles of unconditional love shot straight to her core and spread into her chest, warming the already wildly thumping heart.

"Remember when we lived in Salem, and you drove all the way from Storybrooke to go to a stupid pool party with me? By the time you got there, I'd already punched some asshole and accidentally moved the party to our house."

Regina dropped everything onto the cutting board and spun in Emma's arms. "You remember?" Dark caramel eyes flicked back and forth, searching the stormy green gazing down at her.

Emma tapped the right side of her chest with on finger and smiled. "I know the tiny scar on my chest came from that night. You were so frustrated that you woke me up at four in the morning and literally jumped me."

The vein on Regina's forehead popped suddenly and then throbbed as her face pinched and tightened with emotion. "Emma, do you…" Her voice caught, but Emma had already intended to cut her off anyway.

"Remember that Neal and Mendell abducted you later that day?"

"Emma."

"I know," she answered the call of her name quickly. Association between the act and the pain came in spurts and hiccups, as though it were someone else's life. Technically, it belonged to someone else's memories.

"Our True Love connection?" Regina choked. If Emma remembered that, then she practically had truly and honestly become her wife again. Everything they had done from that point forward was an attempt to reestablish that connection. The pain and suffering and in-between events mattered very little, though she prayed that Emma remembered conceiving Annabel.

Determined green eyes raised slowly, and Regina's breath caught. The room suddenly felt depleted of the desperately needed oxygen her body refused her. An honesty and openness burned brightly in those expressive eyes that Regina hadn't seen since Emma woke up from the accident. She may have believed logically, but on some level she doubted their love, their life, their connection in her heart. Those eyes told Regina that Emma finally stopped being afraid to believe in them completely. The sensation of a True Love connection, even a wisp of a memory, obliterated the fear of Regina's abandonment.

"I want it back," Emma stated as though she'd just found her salvation.

"Emma." The utterance of her name transformed into an emotional plea, and Emma answered it with a kiss.

They broke breathlessly when Annabel's gurgling cry sputtered through the monitor on the counter. Regina clutched at the waist of her flimsy tank top and growled into her shoulder, reminding herself how much she positively adored her daughter. Emma chuckled and kissed Regina's hair.

"I'll get her. You finish Belle's dinner before she eats Ruby's soul," she quipped but made no move to relinquish her hold on Regina's hips.

"I heard that!" Ruby called from the living room. Emma and Regina rolled their eyes simultaneously without realizing it. Of course she did. Fucking wolf ears.

Annabel squalled again, and they pulled back to stare at the monitor. Regina's brow furrowed in concern. "She hasn't woken in the middle of the night for a month now. Go now, please." She ordered and flicked her wrist.

Emma materialized in the light purple and bright orange nursery. Apparently, her older self also possessed horrible interior decorating instincts. Annabel grinned up at her with bright green eyes that matched hers perfectly and always glinted and glistened as though she knew and understood more than she should. Emma raised her from the crib, holding her at the center of her chest.

"Well, I'm here, Little Bit. What is it you need?" Emma asked the infant. No response. No cry of hunger or wetness on the butt. No hilariously pitiful expressions of gas face. Annabel simply smiled up at her and slapped at her pearly white teeth.

Emma pretended to eat her fingers as she descended the stairs. Regina never slept easily without checking on her children. "Om nom nom nom," Emma growled. Annabel squealed in joy and slapped her mouth again.

Regina smiled brightly at the duo when they entered the kitchen. She glazed the grilled chicken with the peanut butter reduction sauce and added the broccoli to the plate. Her nose wrinkled in disgust, but she ultimately held her tongue, remembering her own odd cravings in The Enchanted Forest. She would have become an assassin for ice cream a few nights.

"Everything's great. This one," she bumped foreheads with Annabel, "just decided she should be awake since the old people were."

Regina groaned, and Emma glanced up quizzically. "Oh that's right, your birthday is in two days."

Rather than answer, Regina fled the kitchen with Belle's food. Emma followed, bounding like a puppy, making Annabel squeal with joy. "Regina, you are the sexiest 70 year old ever, period. Trust me on this one."

Belle smiled up at the comment and Ruby raised an eyebrow over her shoulder. Both looked much calmer now that Belle had eaten something and stopped yelling at her partner. Ruby accepted the plate onto her lap and cut the chicken into manageable pieces before handing it to Belle who wiped away tears the incredibly adorable act of affection inspired.

Emma pretended not to notice and made funny faces at Annabel. She drew the line at cutting Regina's food while the woman remained perfectly capable. That level of mush must be calculated and given sparingly. Belle moaned unabashedly at the peanut butter concoction and pointed to it with the fork.

"You should make this at the diner," she practically demanded and popped another piece into her mouth.

Sitting on the sofa beside her wife, Regina shook her head endearingly and slipped a hand onto Emma's knee. She'd missed Belle far more than even she realized. Emma grinned at her shyly. Annabel babbled.

Things almost seemed normal for once blissful moment.

The tiny girl bounced up and down on Emma's thighs, gibbering away, saying things only she understood. She stopped abruptly and stared at Emma as if meeting an old friend. Emma's brow furrowed, heart thundering, the intense gaze freaking her out. Annabel smiled and pointed at her chest.

"Mama," the tiny girl said, clear as day.

The other three adults reacted with excitement, gasps and smiles and tiny noises of affection. Amazed, Emma simply stared back at the little girl. She'd missed this with Henry, though Regina cherished every blessed second of his infancy. The dark woman leaned against Emma's shoulder to smile at their daughter, and Annabel responded by touching a tiny palm to her cheek.

Regina heard Ruby yell. Emma saw a flash of the wolf catching the infant as she fell from her lap. A swirl of pink and purple magic swirled around the two women, freezing them physically, trapping them. Like falling asleep instantly, Emma drifted out of consciousness with Regina close behind her. Annabel clapped her hands enthusiastically.

She woke immediately, but the living room felt different somehow. Regina groaned against her shoulder and touched her forehead with two fingers, smoothing out the wrinkle of pain between her eyes. Attempting to calm her fears, Emma's hand slapped the one still on her knee and squeezed tightly.

Gone were Ruby and Belle and Annabel. The television sat silently across the room, lights from the screen and foyer now dark. The whites of Regina's eyes glowed as she met Emma's in the dark, sharing the dread in Emma's heart. She barked a hoarse laugh and waved a hand meant to illuminate the room by magically flipping the switch. Nothing happened.

Regina cleared her throat anxiously and waved her hand again. The darkness stretched around them. Emma exhaled loudly, startling both women with the sudden noise that seemed much louder in the silence. Regina returned the death grip on her wife's larger, colder hand and sat up slowly, perching on the edge of the sofa.

"Regina, what the hell is wrong with your magic?" Emma whispered, too afraid to speak more loudly.

Regina swallowed and glanced around, noticing the subtle differences of the house. The living room felt void of that wonderful energy that surrounded their family. The random DVD's strewn about only moments ago had disappeared. Everything in the room had a home, a place, and sat there immaculately as though it would be judged for cleanliness at any moment.

She met Emma's eyes slowly. "My magic is perfectly fine, Darling," she said, nonsensically. Emma saw it. She fruitlessly attempted it twice.

Regina held up a hand, silencing the thoughts preparing to fly from Emma's mouth. The world around them shimmered, and Emma pressed closer to her wife who no longer appeared quite as afraid. The world outside the window slowly brightened, dawn rising faster than worldly possible. The sharp click of heels inspired Emma's hand to clamp her fingers painfully down on her wife's smaller, more delicate hand.

"It's alright, Darling," Regina assured her a second before a figure crossed the foyer.

Emma jerked again and pointed on trembling finger. "Regina, that's…"

"Me, yes," Regina finished, studying the thinner, angrier version of herself as she paced back and forth in the foyer. Emma watched, too, deducing they were invisible to Doppel-Regina.

"Regina, what the hell is going on?"

Regina bit her thumbnail, unconsciously mirroring the vision of herself in the foyer. A surge of pride and irritation excited her heart into a frantic rhythm. Her eyes closed as slowly as the smile spread on her cheeks. Emma sputtered at the expression, still confused and slightly terrified.

"I do believe our darling daughter trapped us in a dreamscape in an attempt to restore your memories."

* * *

**Aaaaaaand that said, I intend to end this here with an epilogue sneak peak of what is to come. The next installment will pick up where this left off, but I intend to finish How Deep the Bullet Lies before continuing. My question to you: do you want me to wait until S4A concludes or just get on with it?**


	41. Epilogue

Here ye be, Dearies!

As always, I'd love to hear your favorite part, and if you like what I do, give me a follow.

Enjoy, and see you soon!

Songs: Monster you Made Me by Pop Evil

* * *

Regina clung tightly to Emma's hand as the horrific scene played out before them. She'd never intended Emma to know this side of her, to see the truly soulless acts she'd inflicted upon her people. Even Emma's new blasé attitude towards her past misdeeds failed to provide mental adaptation to the absolute destruction of human life before them.

Her nose wrinkled and green eyes watered with each new inhalation of the overwhelming tang of iron and stench of death permeating what should have been fresh air in the field once rich with sunflowers. The happy yellow buds lay trampled and covered the crimson liquid of life, a bed for the lifeless bodies covering great expanse of open field.

They watched a younger, far more vicious version of Regina laugh gleefully not ten feet from them. She whispered into the beautiful bright pink heart of an innocent soul clutched tightly in her clawed fist. Emma's hand ached as the present Regina's grip tightened impossibly. She remembered exactly what she'd said that day. She'd tormented the leader of that village before mercifully crushing his heart.

The middle aged man at her side cried silently but obeyed her command. He had no choice; she owned his heart. He plunged his sword into the chest of a beautiful woman near his age with flowing red hair and a fierceness in her eyes, probably his wife. The young woman at her side, however, sported the black hair of her father and stood stoically in a defensive position. She intended to defend herself against her father, to the death if necessary.

The Evil Queen laughed again from atop her horse. "No, no, Dear," she lilted and squeezed the heart in her hand. "You'll accompany me to my bedchamber."

The man lunged for her horse, which pranced at the sudden movement, but ultimately fell short. The organ in her claws dusted the side of her saddle, and still the girl held her position without so much as a cry of grief or anguish. Regina raised a caustic eyebrow, wondering at the girl's resilience.

"Do you not fear me, Child?" She asked and raised her chin even as she gazed down at the fierce girl.

"I do not," came the confident answer.

Regina dismounted, black leather creaky and stretching with the motion. Emma recognized the outfit as the one her Regina had worn only hours before when they'd set off on a rescue mission for Ruby and Belle. Evil Regina snapped her fingers, disarming the girl of her sword instantly, and she dropped her arms, knowing her puny fists ineffective against the most powerful force of magic known to that realm.

"Why?" Regina asked, tipping her head to the side slightly in genuine curiosity. So long she'd only seen fear in the eyes of her victims. Never before had one dared to meet her gaze directly.

"Because the anguish I feel in my heart is not all my own," the girl answered cryptically and touched her chest.

Regina struck like lightening, taking the girl's throat in her hand without squeezing off the flow of air. She only threatened at this point, too intrigued to kill the brat. The young woman smiled. "My name is Trina, Majesty," she answered suddenly as though she'd been asked.

Regina recoiled, shoving the girl to the ground. She touched her mother's face that would never smile again and gazed up at The Queen with unexpected forgiveness and compassion in her eyes. "How many more have to die before you face your pain?"

Regina's dark eyes narrowed, and with a snap of her fingers, Trina appeared behind her horse, hands bound tightly by a rope attached to the saddle horn. The Evil Queen rode off without another word to the young woman behind her, and Emma watched her until nothing but a black dot in distance remained.

"Regina," she breathed without glancing at the woman she'd married.

"Emma, please," the older woman begged and wiped tears with her free hand, the other still grasping at Emma's as though she might have let her go, never to take up that evil limb again.

"Did you know that you killed Lauren's parents?" Emma asked gently, desperately trying to hold judgment. Regina had never lied about her past, divulged early in her recovery that she'd murdered many people.

Regina shook her head. "There were so many. I knew she worked in my stables, but her journey to that place remained blissfully void to my waking mind, forgotten in the years of monotony before you broke the curse."

Emma bit her lower lip and glanced around them, the destruction still present and very much real to her. Her entire world revolved around this woman, the woman capable of murdering, maiming, and torturing at the drop of a hat. She'd coaxed that woman out only a few hours ago, begged for the destructive nature of The Evil Queen without actually understanding what she asked Regina to do.

All of the memories up to this point had been Emma's or ones shared with Regina or Ruby or Belle. Emma swallowed the bile in her throat and focused on the haunted eyes of the woman next to her. Had Annabel meant to send Regina here? Was she providing some insight she was physically too young to express? Emma wanted to go home and go to bed and forget everything she'd seen in the past five minutes. That wasn't possible anymore. Something larger worked a loom intended either for their salvation or damnation.

Emma knew Regina had no answers, but she asked anyway. "Regina, if this is about recovering my memories, why are we in one of yours?"


End file.
